KARACHI, Feb 13: Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad has directed all educational boards in Sindh to issue the schedule for class nine examination, thereby scrapping the plan for composite examination of class nine and ten.
The governor, who is the controlling authority of the educational boards in Sindh, and Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, had taken up the matter with President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.
The decision is expected to be welcomed by more than 250,000 students and their parents. The decision of holding composite examination of classes nine and ten was also opposed by the Sindh Assembly and cabinet, institutions and organisations at every level.
They were of the view that Sindh had been holding separate examinations successfully for the last 30 years and the implementation of a new system would not bring any qualitative change. They pointed out that the two-year academic work could not be attempted in a single term as it would lead to more supplementary exams.
The research department of the Karachi Board of Secondary Education also went on record and pointed out that the Karachi board had remarkable results in comparison with other boards that had the composite exam system. Department figures for the academic year 2004-05 showed that in Karachi, 183,155 students passed out of a total of 257,972. The pass percentage was 70 per cent.
In Lahore, out of 341,971 students 140,804 passed (41 per cent), while in Peshawar, out of 82,850 students 43,828 passed (52 per cent). And in Rawalpindi, out of 215,925 students 92,021 could clear the examination, a 42 per cent result.
The governor thanked the president, prime minister and the federal education ministry for cooperation in this regard, according to a press release issued here on Tuesday.
APP adds: Meanwhile, Punjab Education Minister Mian Imran Masud on Tuesday said the provincial government was considering reviving the separate examination system for 9th and 10th class on the pattern of Sindh.
In an interview to a private TV channel from Islamabad, he said the decision regarding the combined examination for 9th and 10th class was not yet taken, adding that there were some suggestions from other provinces, particularly from Sindh that the past practice should be allowed to prevail because it was convenient for both students and teachers.
