Cambridge awards for Pakistani schools

160 students to receive Cambridge brilliance awards
Islamabad, Mar 04: University of Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) will present brilliance awards to over 160 secondary school students from across Pakistan for their outstanding results in the Cambridge O Level, Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge AS Level and Cambridge International A Level in June 2008 exams.

These students have won Top in the World awards, Top in Pakistan awards, as well as awards for coming top in their region, across the full complement of Cambridge secondary school qualifications.

Students who received Top in the World, Top in Pakistan and Top in their region as well as best results across Cambridge O Level, International A and AS Level would be awarded individual named trophies to commemorate their impressive achievements.

Nine students from schools in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad gained a Cambridge Top in the World award for their outstanding results in Cambridge International A Level. Thousands of students around the world sat for Cambridge International A Level and receiving a Top in the World for this qualification was a major academic achievement.

Cambridge International A Level Top in the World award winners included Sara Jamil of Beaconhouse Defence Campus Lahore, in Law, Hamza Aftab, Aitchison College, Lahore, in Physics, Anum Shaukat from Keynesian Institute of Management & Sciences in Urdu and Reema Tariq Butt from Resource Academia in Chemistry.

From Karachi, Zainab Shafi, from the Avicenna School excelled in Sociology, Hira Omar from Karachi Grammar School in Accounting, and Ahmed Tariq Soz of The Lyceum School in Mathematics.

From Islamabad, Zara Durrani from Beaconhouse School System will be awarded for excellent performance in Economics and Mahin Alamgir from Headstart School in Psychology.

The Cambridge Brilliance Awards would be presented at individual ceremonies at their respective schools.

In his statement, CIE's Regional Manager for the Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan, William Bickerdike said the high number of students in line for a Cambridge Brilliance Award was a testament to the quality of teaching at Cambridge schools across Pakistan, and the commitment of students to reach their full potential.

"Pakistan ranks as one of CIE's highest achieving countries in terms of outstanding students," he said. "CIE is proud to partner with schools and Centres to nurture the amazing ability of Pakistan's young people adding, "Year after year, students from across the country amaze us with their dedication to learning, and their ability to rank among the world's highest achievers. Success at Cambridge International A Level provides the key to the very best universities around the world."

Director of Examinations, British Council Pakistan, John Gildea, said, "We have witnessed for ourselves the dedication Cambridge teachers in Pakistan show their pupils in preparing them for Cambridge's world-class qualifications." Dawn

Comstech training course on S&T in April
Islamabad: The Organisation of the Islamic Conference Standing Committee on Science and Technological Cooperation (Comstech) has offered a training course on Science, Technology and Innovation.

The course would commence from April 6, 2009, and shall span over three weeks of training and lectures to be carried out by famous scholars in the field. The course intends to develop concepts on the interactive relationship between the human resource development, technology and other socio-economic policies leading to innovation.

Teaching would be interactive with lectures followed by discussions and group assignments. The Comstech Secretariat has organised the course in view of weak capability of the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) member-states in the formulation and implementation of the innovation policy. Students, researchers, policy-makers, research and development managers and public servants involved in the planning, management and promotion of science and technology and innovation policy would benefit from this course. The participation is open to all such categories of persons from the OIC member states.

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Lively Olympiad at Roots School
Islamabad: The Roots School System celebrated its Junior School Olympiad 2009 at the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) here on Tuesday.

All branches of Roots School System in Rawalpindi Cantonment actively participated in the event.

In singing competition, students were asked to sing an English or a Pakistani song for three to four minutes. Quiz and eating competitions, potato race and gymnastics were also held on the occasion.

Students of the Roots Junior Schools actively participated in competitions on puppetry, story-telling, mimicry, and comedy act. 'Funky Fashion Show' was the showstopper of the event in which young children dressed as different characters participated. Dressed as princesses & ballerinas and fluttering like butterflies, little girls swirled around the backstage as they were called on the stage one-by-one.

Walking on a beautifully decorated ramp, with the backdrop of a multimedia that kept on changing with the theme, students dressed as Goldilocks, Red Riding Hood, Shreks' Princess Fiona, Spiderman, Witches, Bratz, Dracula, Ben 10, Barbie, Harry Potter and Batman performed on their themes and the audience loved their performances.

The football field was beautifully decorated with different flags and students sat around the ground to cheer their favourite teams. Different uniforms were assigned to each branch and the army referees were invited to judge the games. The 71 Harley Street Branch won in both juniors and O levels categories.

Roots School System Directress Riffat Mushtaq said that this is the first time that they have celebrated the Junior School Olympiad on the DHA Campus.

Beaconites display projects
Islamabad: Students actively participated in their Annual Science Fair 2009 at the Beaconhouse Educational Complex (BEC) near the motorway here on Tuesday.

All branches of the Beaconhouse School System, as well as St. Mary's School and Headstart School participated in the event.

On the occasion, students showcased science projects and provided information to guests and teachers visiting their stalls.

The chief guest on the occasion was Hearts International Executive Director Mohammad Ashraf Khan.

Students had done extensive research work and displayed all relevant material and details about their projects at the stalls. Every stall had three to four students who were informing guests about their projects.

The judges included Raees Abbas of the EME and Sakina Jaffari and M. Saleem of the International Islamic University.

The chief guest appreciated the hard work of students.

Beaconhouse Educational Complex Principal Aafia Shah said that the annual event provides an opportunity to students to think beyond the book. The fair provides a platform to students to showcase their abilities. "Extensive research is required from different books and internet, which gives students a broader spectrum to work on," she said. Later, Aafia Shah distributed prizes among students of the winning branch.

Computer training courses for housewives
Islamabad: Skill Development Council Tuesday finalized a marketing strategy to expand its activities by offering computer trainings courses and internet usage especially to housewives.

This was stated by Chairman of the Council, Imtiaz Rastgar in a press briefing held here today. Giving details, he said the council expanded its training facilities and now it would simultaneously conduct half a dozen courses at its premises. In addition, it could provide the same facilities at the premises of the industrial and business units. Even the interested parties could conduct the training courses at the premises of the council by paying nominal fee, he added.

The Chairman said the basic aim of the marketing strategy was to enhance the role of the council in meeting the shortage of skilled labour force in the country. He appealed media to project a culture of labour dignity in the country and opportunities available in the self serving sector.

"The fact that a plumber can earn Rs60,000 or more per month, which is much higher than the pay of an officer in government", he said. The educated youth instead of looking jobs should acquire a skill which went a long way in providing handsome income, he added.

The chairman said a new marketing until had been established in the council to achieve the targets of the marketing strategy in shortest possible time.

College employees yet to have pension
Mardan: Despite approval by its Board of Governors (BoG) and favourable verdict by the Peshawar High Court, The Fazle Haq College is yet to grant pension to its employees.

In a statement, a retired staff member of the college, Syed Jaffar Shah, recalled that in the 32nd meeting of the BoG of the college on October 3, 1998 it was decided to grant pension to the college employees on the pattern of Kohat Cadet College, Abbottabad Public School and Peshawar Public School.

He said that another meeting held on February 3, 2000 also approved the pension-able service structure while the NWFP Department of Archives, Sports and Libraries issued a notification on the approval of the same on January 30, 2002(SO (AB) HF/2-7/2002).

Syed Jaffer Shah said 217 staff members of The Fazle Haq College went to the Peshawar High Court (PHC) on December 31, 2004 where they challenged the Board of Governors' decision for not practically granting pension to the staff of the college. He said Justice Ijaz Afzal and Muhammad Qasim Jan Khan of Peshawar High Court gave the verdict in favour of college employees in December 2006.

However, the college officials were reluctant yet to implement the decision despite the court verdict and the approval of the same by the Chairman, Board of Governors and NWFP Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti in letter and spirit, Jaffar Shah said. He added being chairman of the BoG, Hoti in May 2008 announced Rs80 million for the college employees' pension.

The former staff member said college's own deposits in the United Bank Limited (UBL) on the Bank Road here amounted to Rs 120 million. He said the college had sufficient funds from its resources to easily provide pension to the retired employees.

Unlike the cadet colleges and other two institutes (APS/ PPS), the teachers were neither entitled to 25 percent non-tuition allowance nor did their rightful pension despite the fact that the late founding principal Abdul Ali Khan had even promised them a pension-able job. His death in 1997 led to non-fulfilment of the demand of the college staff to date, Jaffar said.

It is pertinent to mention here that The Fazle Haq College like the Abbottabad Public School and the Peshawar Public School was established under the same act of the provincial government and the latter institutes had the facility of proper service structure and pension for the staff members. However the bureaucratic hurdles for years kept the employees of The Fazle Haq College deprived of any service structure and pension.

Syed Jaffar Shah added that since 2000 to 2007, 14 faculty members left their job in the college including Ijaz Khan, Ameer Sultan, Jehangir Khan, Sajjad, Hafiz Nasiruddin, Younas, Zahoor, Ishaq, Faisal besides several others and joined other institutes having proper service structure. Jaffar Shah appealed to the quarters concerned to implement the decision of employees' pension scheme. The News

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