Unfortunately in Pakistan the students have to suffer the brunt of a parallel system of international boards with the local board. Students affiliated with foreign boards are discriminated at the hands of national colleges and universities for following the local curriculum and IBCC through the equivalent certificate, which mars their potential in getting admission at any national universities.
According to data provided by the University of Health Sciences, more than 18,000 students took the entry test for MBBS programme last year and only 488 of them were A-Level students. However, only 13 could make it to the medical institutions. This time attendance of 560 students of A-level was marked out of 22,000 students in total. Of these 560 students none was able to pass the test.
This time the Cambridge and other boards students appearing for the admission tests in medical colleges protested over the injustice done by University of Health Sciences. The happiness over appearing for separate admission test of the students who already aggrieved over unfair conversion system has somehow disappeared.
The students claimed that the A-Level syllabus is altered every 10 years, whereas small amendments are made every year. Many of the questions were selected from past papers of 1960 and 1970 that were out of line with the CIE syllabus. Also A-Level questions are prepared by experienced British examiners keeping in mind that each question is solved within 90 seconds with the help of a calculator. Whereas many numerical questions in the Physics section required the use of a calculator.
Further, FSc students are protesting over the possibility of reserving a quota of 200 seats for A-level and non-FSc students. They believed that it would be discrimination against students earning place on merit and concerns of students regarding out of course questions should be addressed rather ruling out equity.
It is not a good sign that the students have to come on roads to protect their rights. The discrimination on either side would not uplift the morale of the students. The government now should think of creating a uniform platform for all students of Pakistan.