Alarming Gap Emerges in Karachi Public Schools’ Access to Top Government Colleges

KARACHI:Alarming statistics have emerged regarding the quality of education in Karachi’s government schools, with students from private schools making up the overwhelming majority of admissions to the city’s leading government colleges.

According to admission data obtained from the colleges, around 93 out of every 100 students admitted to the top 10 government colleges in Karachi are graduates of private schools, while only about seven come from government schools.

A total of 13,211 students were admitted to these colleges. Of them, 12,264 had completed their matriculation from private schools, compared with only 947 from government schools. Private-school students therefore accounted for 92.8% of admissions, while government-school graduates represented just 7.2%.

At Adamjee Government Science College, 613 students were admitted, including 585 from private schools and only 28 from government schools. At Government D.J. Sindh Science College, 1,258 students secured admission, of whom 1,214 were private-school graduates and just 44 were from government schools.

Similarly, Delhi Government Science College admitted 801 students, including 773 private-school graduates and only 28 government-school graduates. At Government Boys College North Nazimabad, 1,317 students were admitted, with 1,257 coming from private schools and just 60 from government schools.

### Gap More Pronounced at Girls’ Colleges

The same trend is even more evident at leading government girls’ colleges.

Government Sir Syed Girls College admitted 2,507 students, including 2,266 from private schools and only 241 from government schools.

At St Lawrence Government Girls College, 691 students were admitted, of whom 631 were private-school graduates and 60 were from government schools.

At PECHS Government College for Women, 1,517 students secured admission, including 1,420 from private schools and only 97 from government schools.

Similarly, Khatoon-e-Pakistan Government College for Women admitted 2,107 students. Of these, 1,876 had graduated from private schools, compared with only 231 from government schools.

At Government Degree College Malir Cantt, combined figures for boys and girls showed 402 students in the cited admission data, while the breakdown provided lists 316 private-school graduates and 86 government-school graduates.

Meanwhile, Government Degree Boys and Girls College Stadium Road admitted 998 students, including 926 from private schools and only 72 from government schools.

The figures indicate a substantial disparity in the representation of government-school graduates at Karachi’s leading public colleges, raising concerns over the standard of education and academic preparedness in the city’s government schools.