ISLAMABAD, Jan 21: Federal education minister Zobaida Jalal on Tuesday asked students to excel in their academic endeavours as great responsibility rested on their shoulders for being the future leaders of the country.

“My advice to you is to hunt and discover the light of knowledge for your own benefit; the benefit of Pakistan and humanity at large,” she observed.

She was speaking at the 18th Medal Award Ceremony organized by the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE) to honour the students who had secured highest positions in the secondary school and higher secondary school examinations held during 2002. The ceremony was held at the National Library Auditorium.

The minister awarded 14 medals — six gold, four silver and four bronze — to the outstanding students who performed well in the matriculation examination. Similarly, at the intermediate level, 31 medals — 10 gold, 11 silver and 10 bronze — were awarded to the students.

In addition to medals, personal computers, cash prizes and certificates were also given to the students securing overall first positions in matriculation and intermediate exams.

Gold medal, certificate and cash prize of Rs10,000 were awarded to the first-position holders of SSC and HSSC examinations. Silver medal, certificate and cash prize of Rs7,000 were awarded to the second-position holders in the two categories. Similarly, bronze medal, certificate and cash prize of Rs5,000 were awarded to the third-position holders.

Army Public School for Girls, Lahore Cantt, was declared the best institution for showing goods results in the SSC 2002 examination. Similarly, Fauji Foundation College for Girls, Rawalpindi Cantt, was declared the best institution for showing good results at the intermediate level.

The education minister, speaking at the ceremony, referred to Quaid-i-Azam’s speech at the Muslim Educational Conference, in which he had said: “Without education it is completely darkness and with education it is light.

Education is a matter of life and death to our nation. No sacrifice of time or personal comfort should be regarded too great for the advancement of the cause of education”.

She said the young generation had opened their eyes in a land of opportunities. She asked the students to make most of the facilities available to them in the form of schools and colleges, informative websites, media channels and books.

The minister lauded the board for improving its working, bringing a positive change in the examination system and facilitating students and their parents.