September 15, 2006	Friday	Sha'aban 21, 1427

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PESHAWAR, Sept 14: Federal Minister for Education, Lt-Gen (retd) Javed Ashraf Qazi said on Thursday that changes in the curriculum would be made with the consent of all the provinces.

“All the provinces have been asked to send their comments and recommendations to make it more beneficial and target oriented,” he said in his address as chief guest here on the fifth foundation day ceremony of the Sarhad University of Science and Technology (SUIT).

Welcoming the proposed recommendations of the NWFP government, the minister said that 85 to 90 per cent of the suggestions had been included in the revised curriculum. “The recommendations of the NWFP government are the best among proposals received from other provinces,” he acknowledged.

Study days are being increased from 170 to 210, he said.

The reforms in curriculum would provide quality and standard education to students and would help prepare them for future challenges, he said.

“We are going to start computer classes from class VI in all middle schools by establishing full-fledged computer labs.” A separate group at F. Sc level was being introduced which would comprise physics, mathematics and computer science subjects. It would provide a sound platform to students interested in specialisation in the field of computer sciences and information technology.

The minister said science subjects, mathematics and computer sciences would be taught at primary and middle school levels in English to fill the gap between Urdu and English medium schools.

Mr Qazi said that private universities were playing an important role in spreading education. He said universities like LUMS took several years to establish as an institution.

“The NWFP govt has taken lead over other provinces in the field of education,” he said, adding, proper attention needed to be given to promotion of girls’ education in NWFP and Fata.

He underscored the need for brining improvement in the standard of education specially in rural areas to produce top professionals who could compete globally in the field of science and technology. NWFP Minister for IT Hussain Ahmed Kanju said that the provincial government had set up 64 new colleges both for male and female during last four years.

Similarly, he said free books Had been distributed among the students Resulting into 29 per cent increase in the students’ enrollment.—APP