March 28, 2006	Tuesday	Safar 27, 1427

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LAHORE, March 27: The federal government’s decision to introduce composite examination at secondary school certificate (matriculation) level throughout the country from 2007 has received a setback after Sindh’s refusal to adopt it.

The Sindh government’s unilateral decision has left the Centre in limbo whether to impose its policy on it or request other provinces to follow Sindh in this respect.

Official sources told Dawn on Monday that the Sindh government had “intimated” the Centre that it was not going to implement its decision from 2007 owing to growing resentment from various quarters, including students and their parents, against it.

They said it had asked the federal government to withdraw its decision so that provinces could hold by-parts (class-1X) annual examinations under educational boards this year.

They said the Sindh education department had to go against the Centre’s decision as it did not take into confidence students, teachers, school managers, educational boards and above all the government hierarchy.

The federal government in July last year had taken the decision after reportedly taking provinces into confidence as none of their (provinces) representatives opposed it.

Sources said the “new situation” would be discussed in the inter-province committee of the education ministers’ meeting scheduled for next month.

Punjab Education Minister Imran Masood told this reporter that the province was in favour of uniformity in the examination system in the country. “Punjab will follow the federal government’s decision whatever it may be — by-parts or composite — examination system taken in the education ministers’ meeting,” he said.

Frequent changes in the SSC examination system has exposed the federal government’s inconsistency towards such issues. It seems that no homework is done before taking major decisions involving future of thousands of students of all provinces.

It is said that the government had revived the composite system after strict criticism from parents and students, especially in Punjab.

“The composite exam system is considered more practicable under the education system here as most of the students find more time to cover syllabus and also remove deficiencies of class-IX,” a teacher said. It is pertinent to mention that the inept decision of introducing ‘no fail no pass system’ during interim setup of the Musharraf government which lasted for not more than two years created a lot of problems for students.