MAKKAH: Minister of Higher Education Khaled Al-Anqari Monday allayed the fears of many students that they would not be able to continue their studies, affirming that enrollment procedures in universities are fair and transparent and any violation would be rectified.
The minister's statement followed the announcement of the president of Umm Al-Qura University in Makkah, Bakri Assa, that the dean of university studies, Nour Qarout, has been relieved of her position following two incidents of trouble over enrollment procedures at the university on Wednesday and Saturday.
"Fairness in enrollment to universities is a fundamental principle that could never be compromised. The ministry has directed universities to ensure fairness in enrollment on the basis of marks. The ministry is closely following the procedures and if any violation is noticed the ministry and the university concerned are liable to rectify it," Al-Anqari said in a statement to the Saudi Press Agency.
Universities and other post high-school institutes in the public and private sectors have sufficient seats to accommodate all high school graduates this year.
"Governmental and private universities in the Kingdom provide 320,000 vacant seats, 10 percent more than the seats available last year. It means more than 90 percent of high school graduates will get their seats this year," Al-Anqari said.
The minister added that high school graduates can make use of the opportunities available outside universities, such as technical colleges and institutes run by the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation, the Institute of Public Administration, university colleges in Jubail and Yanbu, and the military academies in addition to the university-level parallel education programs. He also said the government's foreign scholarships project offered a number of opportunities for high school graduates.
Al-Anqari dismissed rumors that the ministry has reduced the enrollment to 70 percent compared to last year as baseless.
"It is the Afaq project that aims to reduce the enrollment of high school graduates from the present 90 percent to 70 percent in the coming years so that more students can go for non-university post matriculation programs," the minister said, adding that the Afaq project will be implemented only after alternate arrangements are in place and not this year.
Umm Al-Qura dean Nour Qarout has been replaced by Muna Al-Subaie. Qarout was on vacation outside the Kingdom when the enrollment incidents took place.
On Wednesday, 300 students who learned that all seats for the next semester had been taken started a ruckus with their mothers outside the enrollment office.
On Saturday, over 100 students and their mothers gathered in front of the university trying to force their way into the premises to register their daughters for the next semester. Management officials closed the doors and evacuated their employees, leaving inside only the summer students. A number of students were injured or fainted when they tried to force their way in.
University official Adel Muhammad denied claims students physically attacked female officials during the incident.
Umm Al-Qura President Assa toured the women's section Monday and inspected the damage caused from the trouble. He said that the events were blown out of proportion and 70 percent of the female students who gathered in front of the university on Wednesday had not registered through the website.
Thamer Al-Harbi, university undersecretary for educational affairs, said 153 applications were collected from the students last Wednesday and only 16 female students met the admission conditions.
Assas said that only 3,400 male and female students would be accepted this year because of the university's capacity.
© Arab News 2011
