Punjab university B.Com examination schedule

Punjab university announced B.Com examination date-sheet
Lahore, Nov 16: The Punjab University (PU) Examination Department has announced the date-sheet of Bachelor of Commerce (BCom), Part I and II, 2nd Annual Examination 2009. The exam will start from December 8, 2009.

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Two PhD degrees awarded
Lahore: The Punjab University (PU) has awarded PhD degrees to two students in the subjects of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics and Biological Sciences (Molecular Biology).

Basharat Ali s/o Abdul Islam has been awarded PhD degree in the subject of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics after the approval of his research thesis entitled "Plant Associated Auxin Producing Bacteria: Their Genetic Studies and Impact on Plant Growth".

He completed his thesis under the supervision of PU Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics Associate Professor Dr Anjum Nasim Sabir and his Co-Supervisor was Chairperson Prof Dr Shahida Hasnian. Muhammad Shahid Nadeem s/o Haleem Akhtar Nadeem has been awarded PhD degree in the subject Biological Sciences (Molecular Biology) after the approval of his research thesis entitled "Isolation, Purification and DNA-cloning of some clinically important enzymes from the heart, liver and pancreas of river buffalo bubalus bubalis".

He completed his thesis under the supervision of PU School of Biological Sciences Director General Prof Dr M Akhtar. The news

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Tuition centres, academies compromising on security
Lahore: Academies and tuition centres have not taken the prescribed security measures to secure their premises, evading the government and putting the lives of students at risk, it has been learnt.

Due to a lack of government regulation in this sector, the city has seen mushrooming of tuition centres in recent years. Now, there is hardly a locality, posh or otherwise, without an academy or tuition centre, with most such establishments operating in residential areas.

It has been observed that despite steep tuition fees, a large number of these academies do not implement the government-prescribed security measures on their premises. Also, most of these academies are co-educational institutions, and hence, more likely targets of a possible terrorist attack. A student studying for the CSS interview at an academy in Johar Town, said he had studied for four years and had cleared the written exam on his second attempt.

"After putting in so much time and money, I cannot just leave it in the middle due to the security situation. The administration of the academy should ensure the safety of students at their premises, especially when they receive Rs 20,000 per month from every student," he added. Another student said that since all exams would be conducted as per schedule, they could not afford to leave tuition centres because of the law and order situation.

Many parents have also expressed their concern about their children's security, but say there is no other option, short of home schooling them. "I cannot let my children grow up illiterate, it is for the professors running these academies to take security measures, since we (parents) are already paying them a lot," one parent said. "There are innumerable academies and tuition centres in Lahore and it is impossible for the government to deploy security personnel at their premises. Academy owners should invest in security because they are running commercial enterprises and making a lot of money," Mazhar Shahzad, the father of an O-Levels student, said.

However, most academy owners refused to comment, saying the security situation was bad across the board. "If terrorists can attack the General Headquarters (GHQ), they can attack anywhere and there is no use of taking security measures," the owner of an academy near Barkat Market said.

Main Market Station House Officer (SHO) Hammad Khan said police had been given a list of standard operating procedures (SOPs) to be followed in ensuring the security of schools. However, he said he had received no specific instructions to ensure security for private academies, adding that no academy owner had approached him for security so far. However, experts say that SOPs for schools and colleges should also apply to private academies, because most tuition centres are situated in residential areas. Daily times

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Services Institute of Medical Sciences faculty shortage
Lahore: The Services Institute of Medical Sciences (Sims), Lahore, is facing a shortage of senior faculty in various departments which is badly affecting the quality of teaching and training as well as treatment of patients in the Services Hospital.

As many as six professors, eight associate professors and seven assistant professors are not available in several key departments, and the situation shows the quality of education and training being imparted on young doctors as well as the treatment given to patients in the hospital.

According to details, six seats of professors are lying vacant in departments of Biochemistry, Forensic Medicine, Pathology, Psychiatry, General Medicine and Radiology. Similarly, there is a shortage of eight associate professors, including two vacant seats in the Department of General Surgery and one seat each lying vacant in the departments of Anaesthesia, Medicine, Psychiatry, Plastic Surgery, Paeds Surgery and the ENT. Besides, seven seats of assistant professors are also lying vacant, namely four seats in Community Medicine, two in Anatomy and one in Forensic Medicine.

The Young Doctors' Association (YDA) on Sunday lambasted the SIMS administration for the delay in filling the vacant posts of senior medical teachers in the key departments, which was causing loss of academic activities of medical students and practical training of young doctors besides badly affecting the standard of diagnostic and treatment services to patients in the Services Hospital.

"The SIMS must immediately fill the vacant posts of professors, associate professors and assistant professors in its various departments so as to ensure quality education and training to students and doctors as well as treatment to patients," said Dr Salman Kazmi, secretary general of the YDA. Meanwhile the Young Doctors' Association said that as many as 400 young doctors, currently engaged in two-year MCPS programme under the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP), are working unpaid in all teaching hospitals in the province.

According to a press release here on Sunday, the YDA office-bearers said that three months back, the Punjab government had promised that 500 seats would be created to give pay to the doctors who were working in hospitals without pay.

However, they said, the summary of the said seats was still in the Punjab Finance Department. They said 400 young doctors demanded the Punjab government to give them pay.

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Need to modernise education system
Lahore: Rote learning is undoubtedly the biggest obstacle to the creation of intellectual, creative and critical learning environment in educational institutions especially schools.

Experts have stressed the need for a teaching method promoting inquiry-based learning instead of rote learning. It is a common practice that students are required to memorise a particular subject matter instead of critically analyzing it.

The teaching method in use by most schools especially public sector schools is believed to be highly rigid in nature discouraging children from thinking critically and even snatching the spirit of thinking independently.

Nonetheless there are schools especially in private sector where rote learning is strongly discouraged and emphasis is laid on creative and critical learning. A number of schools have also gone for project-based learning with an aim to make children understand how to apply knowledge in real world situations.

Some educational experts and teachers are quite critical of the Punjab Chief Minister's Speech and Essay Writing Competitions and even term it "a big show for promotion of rote learning". They argue that rote learning is being promoted by making students write and speak on pre-selected topics and that winning the competition would merely be an exercise in memorising written material. "This hampers the process of creative and critical thinking," said a senior professor teaching at a government college.

"It is unfortunate to see students come on the dais and vomit what they have memorised," he added. He said brainstorming sessions should have been organised to involve students in creative and critical think process and seek their points of view on different topics instead of organising such competitions. This correspondent had the opportunity to visit various schools in connection with these competitions last year and noticed students delivering prepared speeches.

This year the CM Speech and Essay Writing Competition 2009 started on November 11. Urdu essay writing competition at primary level was on the topic of "Safai Nisf Imaan Hai", middle level Urdu essay writing competition on the topic of "Mehnat Mein Azmat Hai" and middle level English essay writing competition on the topic of "Parents are the Best Teachers of a Child".

Urdu speech competition at primary level was on "Subah Ki Sair" and middle level Urdu speech competition on "Amal Se Zindagi Banti Hey Janat Bhi Jahanam Bhi". Middle level English speech competition was on "Students' Problems".

A schoolteacher seeking anonymity revealed that most of the time, speeches and essays were prepared by teachers or parents. "Students have to learn these by heart only," he said. "Can this help a student sharpen his/her critical and creative abilities," the teacher remarked.

Those who support the ongoing competitions argue that such events do help a lot in grooming leadership qualities among children besides creating among them much-needed self confidence. They argue that such competitions equip young students with skills that help them express themselves clearly.

The Punjab University's Centre of Clinical Psychology (CCP) Director, Dr Ayesha Sitwat, and students attended the 12th Asia-Pacific Regional Conference of Alzheimer's Disease held the other day. A press statement issued on Sunday stated Dr Saima Dawood and Mujeeba Ashraf also presented their papers in the conference.

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Government schools staff union elects office-bearers
Lahore: The panel of Hafiz Abdul Nasir made a clean sweep in Punjab Government Schools Senior Staff Association (PGSSSA) 2009 elections held on Sunday.

A press release said 364 voters cast votes out of total 450 voters. Hafiz Abdul Nasir was elected as PGSSSA president and Atiq ur Rehman Kiyani was elected as senior vice president. The other winners included Zahoor Hussain Shah (VP-male), Mrs Farkhanda Saeed (VP-female), Zarar Ahmad (secretary general), Ameer Hussain (joint secretary-male), Raheela Arif (joint secretary-female), Toqeer Ahmad Butt (information secretary), Shaukat Ali (secretary finance-male), Shumaila Saman (secretary finance-female), Ijaz ul Haque (auditor), Abdul Jalil (member audit-male) and Mrs Azra Aaftab (member audit-female).

It is pertinent to mention here that the panel of Hafiz Abdul Nasir has won the elections for the third consecutive time. Additional DPI (Secondary Education) Bilal Ahmad Qamar performed the duties as Chairman Election Commission. The news

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