KARACHI, Aug 11: Delay in the issuance of a federal government’s notification on revival of composite matriculation examinations is causing concern among the education officials, teachers and students in Sindh.

A meeting of the inter-province committee of education ministers on July 24 had decided at Lahore that the composite matric examination system would be revived at country level from 2007.

However, the Sindh education department, which is already working on a proposal for reshuffling of subjects in the scheme of secondary schools certificate examination from the current academic session, has not been provided with the latest decision taken at the Lahore meeting, which was chaired by the federal education minister, said a source in the department.

The Inter-Board Committee of Chairmen (IBCC) some eight months back had urged the education department to make some changes in the teaching and examination of different subjects of class IX and X examinations conducted by the educational boards in the province to bring the scheme in line with what is claimed to be in practice in the other provinces.

The department held a meeting of education EDOs of the province on the very subject on February this year, while another meeting with chairmen of educational board was held recently, prior to the Lahore meeting. As follow up of previous meetings, a meeting of the experts’ committee is scheduled to be held on Aug 12.

Under the proposed IBCC’s scheme, major subjects of science and general group’s, taught either in Class IX or X, would be split into two and their examinations would be held in both the years.

For instance, it was suggested that subjects of Biology or Computer Science and Chemistry taught in Class IX would be taught and examined under the new scheme in Class X also, while General Science and Mathematics applicable of Class IX general group should be taught in Class X as well. Similarly subjects of Physics and Mathematics taught to students of science group in Class X till last session would be taught in Class IX also.

Under the changes sought by the chairmen’s committee, shuffling of Pakistan Studies, Ethics, Islamiat and Social Science subjects would also have to be prompted, added the source.

When contacted a senior official of the education department said that till date no decision had been made for the splitting up of SSC subjects from the current session. The matter is still under consideration and recommendations would be placed before the steering committee of the Sindh education department, following which, boards would be asked to arrange for accordingly, provided the revised scheme of studies is adopted by the province.

Interestingly, while the education department is yet to take a decision, the Sindh Textbook Board, has marketed books in line with the proposed split study and examination scheme. The board has acted on its own and published the books in the absence of any clear directive, said a source in the department, adding that perhaps the STB had toed the policies of the federal curricula wing, which had required publication of new books a few years back.

However, teachers and students are confused on the issue in the absence of clear directives. Students of class IX have purchased new course books but are now in a fix as teachers wanted to teach the old books as they sensed that the federal government had moved for combined examination of class IX and X.

Coaching centres, which start their programme much in advance, are also puzzled. Same is the case with private and government schools, which needed to be addressed on priority basis.

While the Sindh education department is yet to come out with a clear notice, the situation had aggravated due to the resolution of the inter-provincial education ministers. The ministers decided to revive the composite examination system at a time when educational boards of other provinces were readying to try the pattern of SSC examination in-vogue in Sindh, said sources in the educational circle.

The Lahore meetings’ decision came in the absence of any prior consultation with experts and educational boards. If we adopt the latest decision what would happen to the idea of reshuffling and split of subjects at present taught in class IX and X, remarked a senior academician.

It was said that the composite examination system would over burden the students, while on the other hand educational boards would require more time for conduct and compilation of examination. The boards having tens of thousand of candidates enrolled would perhaps be failing to justify with the examiners and candidates under the composite system, said another teacher.

On the other hand seriousness observed on the part of students and schools in the existing system, when the students are registered for SSC examination in class IX and are made to stay bound for at least two years, could also be lost.

If the students are to be examined in class X only then why register them in Class IX, reacted a parent and said that board and departments should now evolve mechanism for examination of class X students and examine them for SSC courses taught in class X only and allow the schools to evaluate their students up to class IX on their own.

It was learnt that the decision of the Sindh education department’s expert forum on split of subjects, if reached on Friday, would be shelved till the availability of Islamabad notification.