KARACHI, Dec 20: Teaching heads and school teachers on Tuesday announced to resist the newly introduced system of composite exams at the SSC level. They termed the government’s decision as an “arbitrary one”. The teachers were of the view that the government was trying to get the new system implemented by hook or by crook, which was a mockery of the spirit of education and tantamount to ignoring the welfare of the students and problems of the people at large.
Speaking at a press conference leaders of the Heads and Teachers Welfare Associations’ Alliance opposed the idea of merging the two annual examinations of Class IX and X in one and said that the association had already launched a signature campaign against the system of composite examination at the SSC level.
The chairman and general secretary of the alliance Abdur Rehman and Anisur Rahman respectively said that they would also move the courts of law on the issue.
They mentioned that at no stage teachers, parents, students or managements of educational boards were taken into confidence, prior to the announcement of the desire of one single person, they added and said that even today no high-ups or minister in the federal or provincial government was ready to recount merits or rationale behind the decision.
They said that their association had already conducted survey at many of the city schools to know the views of the students, parents and teachers and 95 per cent of them had opposed the new system.
We are contemplating to initiate a joint struggle during the month with the support of the parents against the ill-advised move of the government, which is considered to be the brainchild of the federal education minister, they informed.
Flanked by many of the senior teachers, Mr Anis said that the government had still enough time to review its decision and should not make it an ego problem.
He said that his association would not allow anybody to play with the destiny of students and would like if any discussion on the existing system of examination was initiated in the assemblies.
The school heads representatives said that the existing system of yearly examination of class IX and X students suited to the social and economic conditions pertaining to the majority of the population. The present one was somehow a replacement of the semester system, which was not in vogue in our country at school and college level, they added, saying that if a student failed to clear any paper of class IX under the new system, he or she would have to wait for another one year, while under the existing system a students could have cleared one or two of his class IX papers along with Class X papers.
Recounting the demerits of the proposed system, they continued on to say that the composite examination would overburden the students and detract them from studies at some stage, which would further increase the dropout rates.
They said that the duration of teaching period in schools would have to be increased and in this regard the system of second shift schools be needed to be scrapped out.
SENATE BODY: The members of the Senate Standing Committee on Education, who met the Sindh Education Minister, Dr Hamida Khuhro, on Tuesday, raised objections over the recently announced combined system of examination for ninth and tenth classes, adds PPI.
The delegation, led by Senator Razina Alam Khan, the chairperson of the Standing Committee, included Senator Prof Sajid Mir, Senator Dr Mohammad Said, Senator Dr Nighat Agha, Senator Nighat Mirza, Senator Mohammad Saeed Siddiqui and Senator Tanveer Khalid.
Responding to their objections, Dr Khuhro told that it was a well-thought decision taken at the federal level. Moreover, the president has also consented to it, she added.
To a proposal extended by the committee, the education minister assured that holding of an educational conference at the provincial level would be considered.
The meeting discussed problems being faced by the education sector of the province.
Dr Khuhro informed the delegation that the biggest problem faced by Sindh was the deteriorating quality of primary education.
There is a dearth of teachers owing to the prolonged ban on fresh recruitments besides a majority of schools were devoid of basic facilities, she said.
“We are currently examining the curriculum for formulating it anew. The appointment of new teachers has also been started while teachers’ training is already underway,” she told.
Dr Khuhro said that efforts were being made to reduce dropout and out-of-school rate for which a planning and monitoring system was being evolved through the Reform Support Unit, the head of which had already been appointed.
She told the senators that an education policy was being framed by the federal ministry of education that could give a new direction to our education system and could benefit the future generations of the country.
