Peshawar University reschedules BA/BSc exams

UoP reschedules BA/BSc exams. Students from restive regions to appear later
Peshawar, May 20: The University of Peshawar (UoP) Tuesday rescheduled the 2009 Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Science (BSc) examinations from June 9 to 19 and also postponed the examination in the restive Swat valley.

Speaking at a news conference here, Controller of Examination, Iftikhar Hussain Khan, said the examination section was fully prepared to conduct the BA/BSc examination on the earlier announced date. However, he said, due to the mass migration of people from Swat, Dir and Buner and their lodging in various schools of Mardan and Swabi district, the university had to arrange alternative examination centres for the affected students. The official said due to the ongoing unrest in Swat, the university had also postponed the examination in restive areas till further orders. He explained that about 800 late college students hailing from various parts of Swat valley were to appear in the examination.

He said the new date for the students of Swat would be announced later. However, Iftikhar said, those students of Swat who wished to appear in the examination, should consult the examination section so that they could be accommodated at halls within Peshawar.

Iftikhar said the candidates, who failed to receive roll number slips by June 10, 2009 should contact the examination section along with two attested copies of the national identity card and detailed marks certificate of the last examination to get a duplicate slip. The official said the UoP was ready to conduct examination for sixty thousand students at seven districts in the province.

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Students protest out of course paper, dozen held
Abbottabad: Police arrested a dozen protesting students after they tried to forcibly enter the building of the Abbottabad Board of Intermediate & Secondary Education on Tuesday.

Hundreds of students from Abbottabad, Haripur and Mansehra gathered outside the building of the BISE Abbottabad to register their resentment over the alleged out of course paper of FSc Part-II. They chanted slogans against the board administration and blocked Murree Road for all kinds of traffic. Later, they tried to force their entry into the board building.

Police threw teargas shells on them and also resorted to baton-charge to disperse them. A dozen students were arrested from various colleges however no case was registered against them till filing of this report.

The arrested students have been identified as Abdul Wahab, Malik Zia, Syed Majid Naqash, Syed Iqtidar Shah, Zuhaib, Mohammad Khalid, Mohammad Umair, Talha Jamshed, Amir Malik, Bilal Munir, Asifullah and Mahtab.

Meanwhile, Aurangzeb Mughal, provincial leader of the Pakistan People's Party and former president of People's Federation Hazara Division, Khalid Mahmood Awan of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Youth Wing Hazara Division, and President of Benazir Shaheed Lovers Forum Dr Hassan Ali, Akhter Munir and others said in a statement that the mathematics paper was out of course, which may lead to one-year loss of students, so the paper should be given again.

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Schools planned at camps of IDPs
Peshawar: The Environmental Awareness and Education Programme Tuesday offered the services of 750 students and 80 trained teachers to voluntarily work in the education sector at the camps established for the internally displaced persons of Malakand Division, saying camp schools were planned to do the needful.

"We have already discussed the issue with executive district officer of Mardan and are hopeful that we will be allowed to play our due role to save the future of so many kids in the IDPs camps," said Executive Director of the organisation Samina Imtiaz while speaking at a news conference here at the launch of the annual report, 'No Time To Lose', here on Tuesday.

Samina said the main objective of the programme was to make boys and girls aware of their duties towards their country and fellow citizens. "I feel proud today that our trained students and teachers are now doing voluntary activities in the relief camps, set up for the IDPs," she said.

She said the most of the schools that the project team was working in had been converted into camps for the IDPs where the first priority was food, shelter, medicines and water supply but looking beyond the immediate needs of the IDPs was equally important and, therefore, they were planning to set up camp schools in some selected areas.

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2 clauses in education policy 'to be removed'
Islamabad: The Ministry of Education is planning to remove two fundamental clauses in the National Education Policy 2009. These clauses include a commitment gap and an implementation gap that has thwarted the application of policies.

The draft of the policy is lying for approval in the federal cabinet for the last three months. It was to be announced in the first week of March this year but due to unknown reasons it could not be done so far.

Punjab Teachers Union President Saghir Alam alleged "The new policy would not be announced before and even after the national budget because the leaders are not sincere in the promotion of education in Pakistan."

According to the policy-makers, the commitment gap could come from two reasons including a lack of belief in education's true worth for socio-economic and human-centred development; and secondly due to a lack of belief in the goals themselves.

With regard to the first, the analysis done during the policy review, including reviewing recent international research and policy experience, confirms the potent role education can play in achieving economic growth and social development.

Addressing the two underlying deficiencies requires a fundamental change in the thinking that informs education policy at all levels.

The need for a paradigm shift is echoed in the 'Vision 2030' report of the Planning Commission, which calls for major adaptations and innovation in the education system.

The contrast between the vision and the commitment has been pointed out by the Planning Commission: "We cannot spend only 2.7 per cent of our GDP on education and expect to become a vibrant knowledge economy."

The shift requires that the objective of the education policy would be to serve the interests of students rather than of those who develop policy or implement programmes.

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The City School adopts 600 IDPs
Islamabad: As part of its contribution to provision of relief to the internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Malakand Division, The City School (TCS) has adopted over 600 IDPs presently residing at the Centennial Government Girls High School Mardan.

The City School Regional Director Safia Cassim said here Tuesday that the Aurangzeb Trust sponsored by the TCS started its relief efforts with initial funding of Rs2 million. The relief assistance being provided to the IDPs by the TCS includes complete care including three meals a day, sanitation by way of pesticides spray and supply of clean drinking water.

Ms Cassim, who would be visiting the relief camp of her organisation at 2:00 p.m. today (Wednesday), said the TCS formally began allaying the sufferings of the IDPs in presence of NWFP Secretary Environment Dr Hammad Agha, who visited the relief camp and assured timely assistance to the TCS for smooth operation.

Moreover, she said, students from the TCS Mardan campus initiated a fundraising drive on their own and through that provided a large number of families with eating utensils neatly packed in individual bags. They are continuing to provide ration, bedding and general daily-use supplies, all funded through their pocket money, she added.

"The City School has always led the way in aiding the distressed people of the country during the peace and hour of need including in the aftermath of the 2005 earthquake, when our assistance was the first to reach Muzaffarabad," Ms Cassim said. The News

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AIOU examinations schedule announced
Islamabad: Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) has announced the scheduled of final examination of semester Autumn 2008. Controller of Examination AIOU, Hafeez Ullah said that the examination would start from May 25 all over the country simultaneously. The roll no slips of PTC, CT, ATTC, B.Ed, Matric, Intermediate and Bachelor programmes have been dispatched to the eligible students at their given addresses by postal mail service.

Students who will not receive the roll number slips on or before May 20 are advised to contact their concerned AIOU regional offices. The roll number slip along with date sheet has also been placed on AIOU website (www.aiou.edu.pk). The slips to the students of postgraduate programmes is being dispatched and the Examination of postgraduate programmes will start from June 4.

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Teachers training
Islamabad: A course to train elementary school teachers will start here today (Wednesday) at the Federal College of Education (FCE).

Around 50 teachers of federal government schools of the Capital Territory will participate in the course, organised by FCE under the CIDA supported project 'Capacity Building of Teachers Training Institutions of the Ministry of Education and Training of Elementary School Teachers of the ICT'.

Prof Talat Khurshed, Director FCE, would preside over the opening ceremony, said a press release issued here Tuesday.

Course Coordinator Wasiullah said the course would help provide the participants with the best of facilities allowed under government rules.

The teachers would be trained in pedagogical skills and educational objectives, he said adding that the course would be highly practical oriented with more emphasis on concept and group discussion.

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Classroom shortage
Islamabad: The first meeting of the recently-established Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) was held at the Islamabad Model College for Girls (IMCG), Korang Town, here on Tuesday, says a press release. In the meeting, Principal Iffat Shamim, who has taken over the charge of the college recently, pointed out problems being faced by the college. She said that the college was facing shortage of classrooms, furniture and laboratories. She urged parents to come forward and help the college administration to overcome these problems. The parents appreciated principal's interest in establishing the PTA and hoped that the election of the office-bearers of PTA will be held early so that it could play its role in the development of the college. The News

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