Sindh colleges uniform, fees

College uniforms retained, fee drastically cut
Karachi, March 05: The Sindh Education Department on Thursday decided to retain uniform in the public sector colleges and made a drastic cut in their fee.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the sub-committee on education reforms, constituted by Sindh's senior minister for education, Pir Mazhar-ul-Haq while chairing a meeting of the provincial education department's steering committee.

The committee also gave approval to a proposal that all higher secondary schools in Karachi, which were recently excluded from the purview of Centralised Admission Policy (CAP) for admission to first year classes in the city's government colleges would again be included in the CAP.

The meeting was presided over by provincial secretary education (Academic and Training) Taj Mohammad, and those attending the meeting included provincial acting director-general (colleges) Pervaiz Shaikh, Sukkur education board's chairman Dr Mehboob Shaikh, provincial director (literacy) Abdul Wahab Abbasi, director private educational institutions, Sindh, Mansoob Hussain Siddiqui, a representative of a non-governmental organisation, Ms Sadequa Salahuddin, educationist Murad Ali Khan Nizamani and executive district officer (Education), Jamshoro, Ms Fakhar Karim Siddiqui.

Regarding fee in the public sector colleges, the committee decided that students belonging to science faculty would be charged Rs550 as against existing Rs950, and students belonging to arts and commerce faculties would be charged Rs450 as against the existing fee of Rs770.

The new fee structure would be applicable from the next academic session, starting from Sept 1, 2010, and students seeking admissions to government colleges in the province would have to deposit their annual fee at the time of their admission.

A notification in this regard is expected to be issued in due course of time, sources said.

Summer vacations

Discussing another proposal concerning summer vacations in public sector schools and colleges, the committee decided not to curtail the duration of vacations, and, as such, two months' holidays would be observed in all public sector schools and colleges across the province in the months of June and July.

With a view to ensuring transparency in examinations, the committee decided that a long-term policy would be evolved whereby it would be ensured that students remain punctual and must attend their classes so that they are able to complete their syllabi in their academic sessions.

It further suggested that periodical meetings of the provincial secretary education with heads of educational boards of the province would help curb incidents of cheating and unfair means in the examinations.

With a view to encouraging students pursuing non-formal education, the sub-committee allowed them to switch over to formal education by appearing in class-V and VIII examinations in their nearby government schools in accordance with their ages. Such students would, however, be required to produce their residence and birth certificates, for appearing in class-V and VIII examinations, it was further decided.

The sub-committee also proposed a number of other measures for improving quality and standard of education in public sector educational institutions of the province. Dawn

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BIEK Home Economics (supple) results
Karachi: The Board of Intermediate Education Karachi (BIEK) announced the result of Higher Secondary School Certificate, Home Economics Group, Supplementary Examinations, 2009, on Thursday.

According to the Controller of Examinations, Professor Agha Akber Mirza, the total number of candidates registered for the examinations were 144 while 141 appeared and 77 passed the examinations. He said that 54.61 was the overall pass percentage.

The gazette issued mentioned that not a single student managed to get A-1 and A grade in the examinations whereas only two candidates got B grade.

The official results also show that 17 candidates had C grade, 56 managed D grade and two passed in E grade.

The students will get their marks sheets from their respective colleges after two weeks, he added. The scrutiny of answer book(s) can be done on payment of the prescribed fee and an application within 40 days of the declaration of the result, he further said.

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KU seminar on Women's Day
Karachi: On the occasion of the International Women's Day on Monday, University of Karachi's (KU) Centre of Excellence for Women's Studies is organising a one day seminar.

The seminar titled "Towards Self-Reliance: The Role of Self Employed Women of Pakistan" will be held at the Arts Auditorium, KU from 10 am to 4pm. Acting Vice Chancellor, KU Professor Shahana Urooj Kazmi, will preside over the seminar. Selected research papers related to self-employed women will be presented in the seminar. In addition to this, self-employed women from different towns of Karachi will participate and demonstrate their work.

Later, A Mehfil-e-Milad was organised to celebrate Eid Milad-un-Nabi (P.B.U.H), under the supervision of Dean Faculty of Science, Prof. Dr Shahana Urooj Kazmi. A number of students from various departments of the varsity participated and recited Naats with great religious zeal. Speeches were also delivered to hail the holy life that the prophet (P.B.U.H) lived. Prof. Kazmi said that before the advent of Islam the world was troubled with polytheism and idolatry.

Our Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H) appeared at a time when he was much needed by the society. "We should keep reviving the message that he brought to humanity", she added. The news

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Students movement remembered
Hyderabad: PPP MNA Yousuf Talpur has said that the prime minister's announcement to revive students unions will be implemented and that he will raise this issue on the floor of the National Assembly.

He was addressing a seminar organised by the Jamiat Tuleba-i-Islam, the student wing of the JUI-F, at the press club here on Thursday to mark the 43rd anniversary of the launching of movement by students of Sindh University against the One Unit and the dictatorship of Ayub Khan.

On March 4, 1967, the university students, irked by the transfer of SU vice-chancellor Hassan Ali Abdul Rehman and appointment of then commissioner of Hyderabad Masroor Ahsan in his place, took out a procession from the campus to Hyderabad. While the procession was on the Jamshoro-Hyderabad road, police unleashed brutal force against the protesters.

Mr Talpur said that the students struggle launched on March 4 (of which he was a leading figure) was for the rights of Sindh and was continuing. He urged the "oppressed nations" to cooperate with one another to protect their rights.

JTI leader Hafiz Saadullah Sindhi warned the students of Sindh and Mehran universities that they were being pitted against one another under a deep-rooted conspiracy.

JUI-F leader Moulana Abdul Karim Abid, Dr Dodo Maheri of the Sindh United, Party PPP-SB leader Younus Bhan and others also spoke on the occasion.

The seminar adopted a resolution demanding the construction of a monument near Rajputana Hospital to mark the student struggle of March 4, 1967.

Another gathering was held in Technical College under the banner of the Jeay Sindh Students Federation (organising committee) mark the struggle.

Speaking on the occasion, chief organiser of the JSSF organising committee, Sooriah Sindhi, said the student organisation with the help of writers and intellectuals of Sindh and Sajjada Nasheens of different shrines would try to bring about reconciliation between feuding groups of students.

Participants adopted several resolutions demanding revival of students unions, abolition of self-financing schemes, removal of security forces from educational institutions, removal of retired bureaucrats from the higher seats of learning.

A resolution urged the Sindh government to abandon a plan to privatise 180 technical and vocational institutes of the province. Dawn

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Torture on seminary student
Karachi: Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Qaim Ali Shah has taken notice of torture on a seminary student by his teacher at Baldia Town. The child had lost his arm in the torture.

In a handout on Thursday, Shah ordered the Capital City Police Officer Karachi to present a report on the incident. The news

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Land for school construction
Hyderabad: An application questioning the health of land acquired for the construction of a school and sent to the Chief Justice of Pakistan, was first converted into a human rights petition and subsequently, transferred to the Karachi registry where it was heard by Justice Ghulam Rabbani.

A single man bench of the Supreme Court comprising Justice Ghulam Rabbani on Wednesday directed the senior member Board of Revenue (BoR) and Advocate General (AG) Sindh to file a report in this regard.

Former nazim of Tando Allah Yar, Rahila Magsi had in November last sent an application to the CJP, questioning the acquisition of land by the Sindh government for establishing a school. The land is owned by an influential man of the PPP, she stated adding that the cost of land was far too much and its location not suitable for the population.

Rahila Magsi, AG Sindh Yusuf Leghari, DCO Tando Allahyar Tariq Memon and other officials attended the court.

She stated that a scheme for setting up public schools was approved by the Sindh government with the cost of land starting from Rs300,000. The Education Department had asked the DCO to identify the land as per the Land Acquisition Act 1894.

She further said that the land DCO identified was some 41km away from Tando Allah Yar, was barren and lying uncultivated for a long time while revenue authorities, in connivance with the land owner, reported its market value at Rs500,000 per acre which actually was not worth than Rs50,000.

She termed the selection of land as a favour to a political figure belonging to the ruling party.

She alleged the Planning and Development Department of unlawfully increasing the cost of land, an attempt to usurp government funds and sought court's intervention in saving national exchequer of Rs25 million. She called for the selection of suitable land consisting basic facilities.

She stated that the DCO had already ordered transfer of Rs20 million to Works and Services Department which might be spent against the interest of public. The AG Sindh sought time for filing comments after which the hearing was adjourned to March 5, with directives to senior member, Board of Revenue to send a report, stating categorically whether land in question was under cultivation in the last five years or any land revenue, abyana or cess ever paid in this respect.

The court asked the BoR senior member to attach copies of village forms-II, village form-VIII and mutation register with his report. The court asked the DCO and AG Sindh to file comments.

The court sought details of any other land in Deh Jariyoon, taluka Chambar where disputed land is located with same considerations and comments from secretary of education. Dawn

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