School admissions birth certificates

Computerised birth certificates must for school admissions
Karachi, Feb 10: Effective from the next academic year, computerised birth certificates have been made compulsory in the province for admission to elementary schools and the registration of students for the secondary school certificate examinations.

The Sindh education department's steering committee took this decision at a meeting, whose minutes were released here on Tuesday, held in December last year.

According to the minutes, an 11-member subcommittee has been formed to examine and propose changes, if necessary, to synchronise the summer vacations with hot season and other weather conditions.

The subcommittee to be headed by the provincial education secretary has also been assigned the task of examining the Centralised Admissions Policy for admissions to Class XI in public sector colleges of the city.

The other term of reference of the subcommittee include finalisation of the proposed changes in fee and funds charged from students in government colleges across the province and examining the possibility of using uniforms in colleges of the province.

Expressing concern over reports that Islamiat and Nazra Quran, despite being included in the curriculum, were not being implemented in both the public and private schools in letter and spirit, the meeting directed all executive district officers of the province to ensure the implementation of teaching of Nazra Quran in all schools across the province.

Describing the Ajrak as an optional part of uniform, the steering committee decided that it should be used as scarf/dupatta/chaddar by girl students across the province and no one would have the right to stop the students from wearing Ajrak in educational institutions.

According to yet another decision of the steering committee, all the schools of the province will be required to spare three periods in a week for sports, physical training, scouting /Girl Guides, libraries and other co-curricular activities.

The meeting with a view to bringing an end to the use of unfair means and curbing the trend of cheating in examinations has also asked the subcommittee to furnish its recommendations aimed at improving the quality of education in the province.

The subcommittee has also been asked to prepare a method for inducting non-formal education into the education system after taking students' examinations and determining their level in formal education.

It also decided to set up a scouts corner in all the schools and colleges across the province for imparting knowledge to students and books for the purpose would be purchased.

Academic session for the matric system of education in schools across the province will begin on April 1, 2010 while for O and A Levels on Aug 1 2010, according to a decision.

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SPLA resents delay in due promotions
Karachi: The Sindh Professors and Lecturers Association (SPLA) has criticised the Sindh government for its attitude towards college teachers, complaining that not a single grade-19 college teacher has been promoted to his next grade in the past seven years although such promotions in other departments are a matter of routine.

In a joint statement issued here on Tuesday, SPLA leaders Prof Ather Hussain Mirza, Prof Hemat Ali Pitafi, Prof Muzaffar Ali Rizvi, Prof Iftikhar Azmi, Prof Yaqoob Chandio, Prof Ayub Marri and Prof Shafqat Jokhio deplored that hundreds of grade-19 college teachers whose promotions had become due had either died or retired from the service in this period. "But the provincial government seems least interested in convening a meeting of Provincial Selection Board-1 (PSB-1) despite the fact that a working paper in this regard had been prepared long time ago.

Blaming the provincial education department for the 'injustice', they alleged that the department had not only failed to issue the seniority list of grade-17 teachers, but that of grade-18 teachers released by it was full of errors.

Expressing their dismay over the inordinate delay in convening the PSB-1 meeting, the SPLA leaders said that they had constantly been trying to have an appointment with the provincial chief secretary to apprise him of their community's grievances, the latter seemed to be too busy to spare some time.

The SPLA leaders said that the association had now decided to chalk out its future line of action at its meeting to be held on February 11 at the D.J. Govt Science College. Dawn

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Sharing of knowledge
Karachi: Vice Chancellor (VC) University of Karachi (KU) Prof Pirzada Qasim has stressed the need of exchanging knowledge and resources among the Muslim nations to speed up the progress that has mostly eluded the Islamic countries.

Prof Qasim expressed his trust in the neighboring Muslim country while speaking as a chief guest in a day long seminar on "Pakistan-Iran Relations: Past, Present and Future" at the Arts Auditorium of the university on Tuesday. The Culture Centre of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Karachi and The Centre of Iranian Studies (CIS), KU had jointly organised the seminar on the occasion of 31st year of Islamic Revolution in Iran that had ousted the regime of Raza Shah Pehelvi in 1979.

The VC reminded the audience that Pakistan and Iran were two of the best nations in the world and wanted to inform others that they were important countries and others have to recognise them as such.

He advised the students and teachers to ask for no concessions from other nations. "Have a concept, use it wisely and timely otherwise you will be left behind other nations. Progress without knowledge is a balloon that could be pricked at any time", he remarked. He hoped that The CIS at KU will expand and provide much needed guidance on Persian language and literature in addition to cementing the already good relations between the countries.

Consul General of Iran Masood Zamani termed the two countries as two souls in one body. "Pakistan and Iran have deep rooted relations that has been there for hundred of years. It is religious, linguistic and racial as both the countries are descendents of Aryans and shared the Persian Language and Islam for centuries. Hafiz, Saadi, Firdausi and Iqbal are the Persian poets who are loved and revered in Pakistan and Iran. Saints like Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Ajmeri, Bo Ali Qalandar and Byazid Bustami are household names in both countries. We have common heritage and traditions. And we know that Islam entered India on the back of Persian Language", he commented.

Consul General Zamani pointed out the fact that Iran was the first country that recognised Pakistan after independence in 1947 and Pakistan reciprocated with being the first country to recognise the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979. "Western media is busy spreading lies and trying to destabilise the Muslim countries.

They (west) have introduced economic and other sanctions on us. I call it a blessing in disguise. Now Iran is self-sufficient in almost every field", he relished.

Director Culture Centre of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Syed Hossein Taghizadeh, Dean Faculty of Arts Prof Saleem Memon, Director CIS Dr Rehana Afsar and others also spoke at occasion.

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Cleanliness drive in schools
Karachi: All the educational institutes operating in Sindh must be kept clean and trash should be removed from the premises.

This directive was issued by the Section Officer (G-I), Abdul Azeem, to the Executive District Officer (Education), Chairman, Chapter of Inspection and Evaluation Committee, Director General (Colleges) and Regional Director (Colleges) and other concerned departments.

As per government rules and policy, all educational institutes must dispose off unnecessary material/articles lying in their premises. In this regard, the heads of educational institutes and EDO concerned will issue a certificate that such items have been removed from their premises.

"The heads are also responsible to send such reports to the Secretary Education through their controlling officers. After issuing such certificate, a physical verification of relevant institutions will be carried out by the Secretary Education or by his nominee at anytime," Azeem in his letter said.

If it is proved that any educational institute has issued false and bogus certificate in this regard, disciplinary action will be taken against them, he warned.

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SMBBMU MBBS workshop
Larkana: Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University (SMBBMU) Larkana, with support from the Ministry of Population Welfare and U.S. Government introduced a birth spacing curriculum into the MBBS programme on Tuesday.

The announcement was made at the concluding ceremony of a workshop titled "Strengthening Pre-Service Medical Education, Introducing the Basic Minimal Birth Spacing / Family Planning Package" held in Karachi. The workshop provided an opportunity to share this concept and plan a strategy to implement a similar initiative in other colleges around the country.

The training regarding the birth spacing module will be held at the Chandka Medical College in Larkana.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) supports this initiative through its five-year, $60 million Family Advancement for Life And Health (FALAH) program that improves public and private sector health workers' capacities to provide birth spacing services to Pakistani couples who wish to avail these services.

"I appreciate that SMBBMU and the Ministry of Population Welfare have worked together in developing the knowledge and skills of the students in this important area," said Mary Elizabeth Madden, Economic Officer, U.S. Consulate.

"This is a new step in the joint efforts of both our governments to combat the high infant and maternal death rate and improve the health and lives of the Pakistani people," she added. The news

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