slamabad`s model colleges for boys and girls are not accepting more students because they are already overcrowded.

During visits to various model colleges, which cater to first grade through to intermediate and bachelors classes, Dawn noted that only the children of well-connected and influential parents are being given admission and the majority of parents are being turned away.

Of Islamabad`s 423 educational institutions, only 20 are model colleges, all of which are overcrowded and are overburdened with admissions every year.

A resident of the city, Mohammad Asad said he had exhausted all efforts for getting admission for his daughter in IMCG F-7/4.

`It is my constitutional right to have my daughter enrolled in the best college. She is now studying in another school which is not providing quality education,` he said, adding that he had been told several times that a recommendation from the minister of Capital Administration and Development Division or the DG Federal Directorate of Education is the only way to secure a place for his daughter in the college.

When asked, Director Model Colleges Dr Tariq Masood denied the allegations that only influential people`s children are admitted into the colleges and defended the current admissions policy.

`We only offer admission in prep and class one,` adding that all the 20 model colleges are overburdened and cannot offer admissions to all who want to study there. He said in other classes, colleges offer admissions on a case to case basis and subject to the availability of seats.

FDE officials Dawn spoke to said there should be no back door for admissions, vacant seats should be announced in all classes and that only high achieving students should be given admissions after a competitive process.

The director model colleges, who is also coordinator of the Prime Minister`s Educational Reforms Program, said the Rs4 billion worth project is aimed at making all the educational institutions of the federal capital equal in terms of the facilities available to students.

`All the 423 educational institutions of the capital will have the same facilities and after the completion of the programme, the issue of admissions in some of the colleges will be solved,` he said.