LAHORE, May 16: The federal government has decided to introduce a nine-month continuous academic session in educational institutions across the country. The session will close with final examinations before a three-month break.

This was stated by Federal Education Minister Zubaida Jalal while talking to newsmen before holding a meeting with Punjab Education Minister Imran Masood at the Quaid-i-Azam Library here on Friday.

Ms Jalal, however, said the government had asked all four provinces to look into it for its implementation according to weather conditions. Citing an example, she suggested that the Punjab could run its nine-month academic session from Sept 1 to May 30, and free its students for three-month summer vacation. Similarly, she said, the academic session in Balochistan might be from Jan 1 to Sept 30.

She said neither the students used to do their summer vacation work nor the teachers check it. “The teachers have no capacity to check every student’s work,” she said.

The minister said the government had prepared the National Education and Assessment System (NEAS) for its implementation in four years through the Provincial Education and Assessment System (PEAS). She said the World Bank had given $5 million to implement the NEAS. The World Bank’s assistance along with some federal government’s grant would be distributed among the provinces to launch PEAS, she said.

She said the teams comprising the officials involved in teachers education and boards of intermediate and secondary education were working and planning to implement PEAS at their respective provinces’ level. “The federal government will give technical assistance and support to the provincial governments to implement this system,” she said.

She said the first assessment would be made of students in class-IV and the second in class-VIII. This system would gradually be implemented in class-XII under the National Education and Testing Service (NETS), she said.

The minister said the teachers training component was also being finalized to implement the NETS. Under the programme, she said all teachers would be required to undergo training.

Answering a question, she said the government had decided to revive the old curriculum distribution strategy in class-IX and X. Now the students would study half of the syllabus of all compulsory and elective subjects in class-IX and the remaining in class-X. The government had, however, decided that the part-wise examination system would continue, she said.

Ms Jalal said the government had taken the decision to bifurcate the curriculum and examinations at secondary school level with a consideration to lessen the burden on students. However, soon after the introduction of the scheme, she said, the provincial education departments and the education ministry received a number of complaints from teachers as well as students and the parents, leading the government to review the whole system.

Provincial education minister Imran Masood said the department had constituted a committee to review the internal assessment system. “The committee’s recommendations will be implemented in letter and spirit,” he said.