HYDERABAD, Dec 5: The Tanzim-i-Asatza Pakistan, Sindh chapter, has criticized the government for changing the admission and annual examination schedule, saying this will reduce the academic session by one month and be harmful to students. It also criticized the government decision to hold annual examinations of class IX and X together and said that these changes would destroy the education system and affect the quality of education.

Speaking at a news conference at the press club here on Sunday, provincial organization vice-president Mohammad Abdul Rasheed, Ameer Azmi, Nasrullah Leghari, Iffat Shahid and others said that the semester system of examinations had been introduced in all reputed educational institutes of the world but in Pakistan, the educational system was being distorted.

Quoting statistics, they said that on the average, 48 per cent students of class IX who appeared in five papers had cleared their examinations.

They, however, claimed that if students had to appear in 10 papers of class IX and X together, the percentage would drop to 20 to 24 per cent.

They also criticized inclusion of what they called useless and unnecessary lessons in textbooks.

They were also critical of registration of private schools at Karachi. They said that it would be difficult for the management of a private school of Jacobabad to visit Karachi now and then for registration.

They said that the EDO, education, was competent to register private schools.

They demanded that academic environment in educational institutions should be improved, move-over cases of teachers should be decided without delay, shortage of teachers should be eliminated, appointments of teachers should be made on merit basis and political interference in this regard should be ended.

They said that any changes in the syllabus should be made in consultation with educational experts and intellectuals.

They said that as per rules, woman teachers should be posted in their home towns.