Class 9 and 10 students hard time, no books available

Students, teachers in a quandary over 155-day session, books non-availability
Karachi, Feb 19: A large number of Class IX and X students may have a hard time doing well in the annual examinations across Sindh, as the provincial education department has so far neither ensured the availability of book-II of Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics to them nor curtailed the syllabus despite the fact that the current academic year comprises 155 days, which is the shortest session in the country's history.

Even senior school teachers, who are usually assigned the task of setting papers for Class IX and X, will find it extremely difficult to cover the entire syllabus while setting papers particularly when the exam pattern has also been changed this year.

According to the new pattern of examinations for Class IX, theory papers will comprise 20 per cent objective-type, 50 per cent short and 30 per cent descriptive answers. Under this pattern, the theory paper will carry 85 marks as against 75 marks carried by them in previous years, while the practical examination marks have been reduced from 25 to 15 marks.

Several college professors said that since the education department has failed to ensure the availability of book-II of Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics, students taking their matriculation examinations this year would face immense difficulty in intermediate classes where book-III of various subjects was being taught. The students who could not go through book-II of the subjects would be unable to do well in their college exams.

The current academic year for schools that began on August 16 will end by March 15 so that the new academic session could commence on April 1. As such it is mandatory upon all schools to complete the entire process of examinations of Class I to VIII students by March 31 while all the secondary educational boards of the province are supposed to conduct the Class IX and X annual examinations from March 20.

The current academic year initially shrunk to seven months (210 days) as against the normal academic session of around eight-and-a-half months (240/250 days) in the wake of the federal government's decision to start the schools' next academic session from April 1, 2009.

However, it has further reduced to over five months (155 days) owing to a staggering figure of 55 holidays during the year. The holidays include

30 Sundays, 10-day winter vacation, three-day Eidul Fitr, three-day Eidul Azha, two-day Muharram, and a holiday on the occasion of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai's Urs.

Recalling that the governor secretariat had realised that the current academic year will be the shortest and had requested the provincial education department to curtail the syllabus, well-placed sources said that Class IX and X students were bound to suffer since the education department had not obliged.

Meanwhile, terming the provincial education department's act of not ensuring availability of book-II of Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics at secondary level 'criminal negligence' a number of parents apprehend that their children will not be able to cope with the intermediate standard and thus their admission to professional institutions are at stake, just because they have been neither provided book II of Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics nor have their syllabus been curtailed.

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Book fair at SU library begins
Hyderabad: A three-day book fair, organized by Oxford University Press, began at Allama I.I. Kazi Library, Sindh University, on Tuesday. Books on different subjects related to science, social sciences, commerce, education, Islam, art, women development, rural development, environment, biography, music and Sindhi, Urdu and English literature and dictionaries have been displayed at the fair.

The OUP has announced 25 per cent discount on books.

Sindh University Vice-Chancellor Mazharul Haq Siddiqui inaugurated the book fair. Pro-Vice Chancellor Dr Rafia Ahmed Shaikh, deans of faculties, heads of teaching institutes and departments and a large number of students were present on the occasion.

LAST DATE: The University of Sindh has announced that last date for payment of fee for admissions to MBA evening programme is Feb 21. Dawn

Education reforms plan discussed
Karachi: A joint delegation of the World Bank and the European Commission met Sindh chief secretary Fazlur Rehman in connection with the Sindh Education Reform Programme (SERP) on Tuesday.

The World Bank was represented by director operation Said Al Habsi.

The EC team was led by Andreas Roettger and the SERP team was represented by Reema Nayar. Consultants and other government officials were also present at the meeting.

The Sindh Education Reform Programme was a broad-based education reform agenda adopted by the government of Sindh, officials said.

Its objective was to increase public access to quality education in government schools, they added.

To improve fiscal sustainability and financial management of education sector expenditure, provide supply-and-demand side interventions and improve the induction of qualified teachers through merit-based recruitments are the stated principles of the programme.

The delegation appreciated the political and administrative backing for the programme by the government and indicated that it might enter into a three-year IDA credit arrangements of around $300 million if the Sindh government achieves set targets within the agreed timeframe.

The first tranche of $100 million may be available by June 2009. The government of Sindh appreciated the mission's support and reaffirmed its commitment towards the achievement of the targets. Ppi

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