March 10, 2006	Friday	Safar 9, 1427

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PESHAWAR, March 9: The All Pakistan Private Schools Management Association has rejected changes in curricula and new schedule for examinations, threatening to close the institutions and stage hunger strikes and protest rallies if the provincial government does not revoke the decisions.

Speaking at a press conference at the press club on Thursday, provincial president of the association, Olas Khan Khalil and other office-bearers, said they would not hesitate to bring their students on the roads if their demands were not accepted.

They said the new schedule of examinations was harmful for private as well as government schools as it would waste six moths of students.

They said the provincial government was forcing them to take examinations in May instead of March, for which neither they nor their students were ready.

They said it was too hot for students to appear in exams in May, while some government schools lacked electricity.

They urged the federal and provincial governments to revoke their decisions in the interest of the students, warning that otherwise they would resort to agitation.

They demanded that the provincial government should also distribute books free of cost among the students of private schools under the programme sponsored by the World Bank.

They alleged that the provincial education minister was holding meetings with a non-representative organization of private schools and implementing the new schedule with its consultation. They said their association had representatives from all the districts in the province, besides the tribal areas.

They asked the government not to compel them to affiliate with the Aga Khan Board.

CONVOCATION: Annual convocation of Islamia College, Peshawar, will be held on March 21, APP quated a press release as saying here on Thursday.

Graduates of the academic session 2005 will be given degrees of BA, B. Sc and B. Theology while gold medals would be awarded to position holders of all the said disciplines.

NWFP Governor Khalilur Rehman will be the chief guest on the occasion. Vice-Chancellor of the University of Peshawar, Dr. Haroon Rashid and principal of the Islamia College, Peshawar, Dr. Nisar Mohammad Nisar, will address the convocation.

Students graduating in the mentioned academic sessions have been directed to register their names with the controller of examination, Islamia College, Peshawar, at the earliest to ensure their participation in the convocation. Students will have to participate in the rehearsal on March 20 at the Roose Keppel Hall, it said.