117,000 enrolled to pursue higher edu: Obaid

KABUL institutes through last year’s entrance examination, the minister said on Tuesday.

Testifying before the Meshrano Jirga or upper house of parliament, Higher Education Minister Obaidullah Obaid said drastic changes had been brought to the ministry’s entrance test committee in order to ensure transparency in the exam process.

His explanation comes after some house members alleged the exam process has not been transparent and that projects initiated by the higher education ministry in some provinces remain incomplete.

“In order to have a transparent exam, I have talked to security organs and have asked the ministry of communications to suspend mobile phone services at the time of exam to prevent cheating,” Obaid said.

He said 250,000 high school graduates (12th grade) took the exam this year and of them, 75,000 made their way to higher education institutes and 60,000 to semi-higher.

About 175,000 students had appeared in last year’s entrance test, with 42,000 obtaining admission to higher institututes and 13,000 to semi higher.

Obaid said he had talked to the private sector universities to absorb some students without charging fee and others on discount in fee.

He said he had discussed with heads of private sector universities problems facing the sector and a mechanism on reducing fee had been reached with them.

“A student who obtains less than half of the total marks is failed and we are trying to find a solution to this.”

The minister said the questionnaire was being prepared on the basis of the ministry’s old and new syllabi.

Senate Chairman Fazl Hadi Muslimyar said there should be complete transparency in the conduct of entrance tests and efforts should be made to enable most students to find their way to higher education institutes.

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