KARACHI, June 26: Federal Education Minister Lt-Gen Jawed Ashraf Qazi said that there would be uniformity in the duration of academic session in all schools across the country commencing from Sept 1 with a total of 170 academic days instead of 110 days.

Addressing the fourteenth Star Awards ceremony on Monday, the minister also announced that measures were being taken to develop a uniform educational standard in all provincial and federal government institutions. He elaborated that English would be compulsory from Class I to raise education quality and bring the same at par with international standards, providing local students a competitive edge.

“This is extremely essential to enable our children compete at the world level,” he said mentioning that English is the language required in all fields.

Jawed Qazi said that education system would be changed for the betterment of new generation and raise the standard of education.

He said that Mathematics, Science and Physics would be taught in English medium whereas Pakistan Studies and Islamiat in Urdu. Pakistan Studies would be taught up to matriculation and not at intermediate level, he said.

The federal minister announced that combined examination for Secondary School Certificate Part-I and Part-II would be held all over the country.

He clarified that Sindh province had been exempted for one year in this regard and a new scheme of studies had been approved which would be made public within a couple of days. He also announced that school education would be made free across the country and books would be provided free of cost.

Lt-Gen Jawed Ashraf Qazi said that elective subjects would be reduced from 46 to 21 as recommended by the educationists. The government endeavoured to improve the higher education and Rs33 billion had been granted under this head in the budget 2006-07.—APP