ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary committee on Friday passed an amendment to Right to Free and Compulsory Education Bill 2022 aimed at prescribing computer science, coding and programming as fundamental right of elementary to high school students.

The amendment was introduced to enable school students to understand and learn the skills of new technology.

The Senate Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training, which met with Senator Irfan Siddiquiin the chair, after detailed discussion passed the bill which was moved by PTI Senator Fawzia Arshad.

However, the committee decided to visit madressahs to see the ground situation on the implementation of the curriculum involving technology and computers.

The committee also took up the exam-ination issue of law students of colleges affiliated with Bahaudin Zakariya University, Mult an.

The committee had issued instructions which were not complied by the vice chancellor of the university. The chairman of the committee said: `VC rather treated the instruction of committee as insignificant and having no relevance, therefore, the matter is taken to the privilege committee with the core objective of its resolution.

The issue faced by law students was raised by Senator Behramand Khan Tangi. During the meeting, a counsel for the VC said court had strictly restrained the committee from interfering in the matter.

The chairman of the committee, however, said the committee could proceed in the matter and also said since the previous recommendations had not been honoured and set aside by the university, the matter should be taken to the privilege committee of parliament.The VC`s counsel argued that the notification for exams had been issued but the Pakistan Bar Council took the matter to the Supreme Court, indicating that thousands of the students were bogus.

He claimed that around 5,000 students were bogus but there were 6,000 genuine students whose exams were conducted. An inquiry was held on the remaining 5,000 students. The lawyer said Supreme Court had issued an order that after approval of the directorate of legal education, HEC will mark the papers and after evaluating the eligibility of the students the results would be declared.

He said the apex court had also sought records of students of last three years, however, a contempt of court notice was issued to the VC on the ground of providing inadequate record. He said a Joint Investigation Team (J1T) had been constituted and according to its report all the students were declared bogus onthe basis of their attendance records.

Since then, the matter is unresolved, he said.

The committee, however, said upon the request of the VC the committee had directed him to resolve the issue, but he did not comply, therefore, the committee decided to send the matter to the privilege committee and held the VC answerable to explain as to why the exams were not conducted. The committee also considered a public petition submitted by Dr Qayyum Shah pertaining to the grant of a no-objection certificate (NOC) and equivalency for the PhD degree in engineering through UET, Peshawar and the HEC, Islamabad. It recommended to the HEC chairman and the VC to sit and hear the grievances of the petitioner and resolve it in accordance with rules.

The committee also discussed the issuance of a notification for appointment/posting junior lady teachers in Islamabad Model Colleges.