UOP stops many students from sitting in exams due to attendance shortage

Palwasha Asif

As a developing country, Pakistan is dependent on its youth. Most of youths and students come from lower income families and not able to afford university fees. Some of them are forced to work to pay for their educational expenses.

Due to financial issues and family problems, those students remain absent from their classes, leading to their attendance shortage at the end.

University of Peshawar, in its recent examination, did not allow many students to sit in exams to due to attendance shortage.

Though there were many reasons leading to students absence; however, they were barred from sitting in examination under varsity rules.

Professor Dr Faizullah Jan, Chairman, Journalism and Mass Communication department said that no student was allowed to sit in the examination having attendance percentage less than 85pc. “These are the rules declared by the university,” Dr Jan said.

He said that student may have financial issues and some have to work to pay their expenses.

However, he was of the view that the students can negotiate the timings with their workplace and must attend classes.

“If a student remains absent the entire session and comes for the paper then what I should expect from him/her to write in the exam or what is the guarantee that he/ she have actually learned something,” he added.

During the final examination of the department, some students were not allowed to attend fifth semester papers. They will appear in the exams next year. “This semester has greatly affected my GPA because I wasn’t allowed to sit in the examination. My attendance was 70 pc because due to Covid-19, I was unable to attend classes.” Ayesha, a student said.

Professor Ali Imran Bangash (B.S coordinator) said that, “Personally I believe that we can bend the rules and make some exceptions.” However, he added that the students remaining absent the entire session and comes just for the exams then they were obliged to follow the rules as per university.”

“I encourage and appreciate my students who are not dependent on anyone and earn for themselves,” he said.

He said that I try to bend the rules and make exceptions for some students as far as the system allows but these are the rules of university and after 4th and 5th semester the rules gets strict and the students are advised to follow them.

Most of the students have not appeared in the examination this year and this will affect their GPA for sure. It is high time that the university will cut students some slack and understand their issues.