n 2012, then-prime minister Raja Pervalz Ashraf inaugurated the IGCSE O and A level programme at two public schools of the capital in the hopes of bringing public school students at par with students at private schools. However, even three years later, the pilot project at the two schools IMCB F-8/4 and IMCG I/10 has failed to attract interest from parents and students.

Following inauguration, the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) did not divert funds or human resource towards these programmes which resulted in the IMCG programme nearing collapse and the IMCB programme only being run in the evening shift. Last year, fifteen students of the F-8 College appeared in the IGCSE exams conducted by the Cambridge University. According to their teachers, most students produced good results. There are about 15 students in class nine and around the same number in class ten.

A large number of students in class six, seven and eight are studying from a curriculum preparing them for IGCSE.

`We have a large number of bright students and if provided the required facilities and funding, I assure you we can produce good results. With good results more students will be attracted towards the programme,` said Professor Mozzam Hussain, the programme coordinator at IMCB F-8.

He said the programme has been funding itself as students are being charged Rupees 5000 per month which is being spent on teachers` salaries. `We never received any funding for this programme from the FDE,` he said.

Professor Hussain said the programme should also be introduced in the morning to make it more popular.

Meanwhile, the pilot project at the IMCG I/10 did not receive a good response from the parents and students perhaps due to lack of patronage from the FDE. Currently, there are only six students in the programme.

A senior FDE official said since the pilot project is being financed through the fees paid by the students, the budget is not enough to pay the salaries of the teachers. `The programme requires additional funding from FDE to keep it running,` he said.

Model Colleges Director Dr Tariq Masood said he agrees the schools have not been receiving funding for their O and A Levels programmes. `I assure you, we will pay special attention to this project to keep it running,` he said.