29 January 2005	Saturday	18 Zilhaj 1425

KARACHI, Jan 28: Following reservations expressed by the chairmen of all educational boards in Sindh over the new schedule of examinations, a meeting of the boards' chiefs has been convened on Saturday (Jan 29) to evolve a consensus schedule, said a source in the Sindh education department.

The educational boards' chiefs, at a meeting presided over by the Principal Secretary to the Sindh Governor, Brig (r) Akhtar Zamin, at the Governor's House on Friday, had opposed the schedule of examinations proposed and finalized by a sub-committee of the Sindh Education Department's steering committee.

The sub-committee had been assigned the task of finalizing the new exams and results schedule, besides a schedule for the commencement of classes of schools and colleges.

While finalizing the academic calendar on Jan 25, the sub-committee had proposed that SSC examinations should commence on April 5 and results thereof should be declared by June 30. It had also proposed that the HSC examinations should be held from May 17 and their results be announced latest by July 30.

It is learnt that the convening of Saturday meeting has been ordered by provincial Minister for Education Dr Hamida Khuhro who was informed that a majority of the educational boards was unhappy with the schedule of examinations chalked out by the sub-committee.

An education department official said that the, which would also be attended by officials of the education department, would be chaired by the education minister. Any changes proposed by the meeting would finally be forwarded to the Steering Committee, added the official.

PPI ADDS: At the Friday meeting, almost all the chairmen of educational boards told the governor's secretary that the period of time allocated to the boards for assessing exam papers and announcing results was 'quite insufficient'.

They maintained that it was impossible for them to declare the results of classes IX and X by May 30, 2005 while the examinations would have to be started from April 5, 2005, as provided under the proposed schedule.

They pointed out that the boards would have just one-and-a-half month time for the assessment of papers. They urged the education department to take them into confidence and incorporate their suggestions while finalizing a new schedule.