KARACHI, Jan 25: Amid a situation where no less than 250,000 students, as well as their parents, are deeply concerned over the fallout of the federal government’s intention to introduce composite examination at SSC level in Sindh, a provincial cabinet minister has described the proposed system as ‘damaging’, and apprehended that the issue might also undermine the understanding between the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, the major component of the ruling coalition in Sindh, and the rest of its coalition partners during the campaign for the upcoming general elections.

It seems to be a conspiracy to destroy the fabric of education in Sindh, Karachi in particular, maintained Syed Shoaib Bokhari, Minister for Planning, in his letter addressed to Governor Ishratul Ibad and certain cabinet colleagues.

He has taken strong exception to a notification issued by the Board of Secondary Education, Karachi, through which the education institutions and students concerned have been advised to complete enrolment formalities for the composite examination-2008. He said the notification, issued by the Board’s secretary, appeared to be violative of the Sindh government’s policy.

Recounting merits and demerits of the proposed system of composite examination, the minister pointed out that general elections were going to be held in the country this year and unless resolved by the cabinet at the earliest, the issue of composite examination was bound to create chaos and confusion, besides unrest among teachers and students, as well as parents of the latter. The unrest, he feared, might also create a law and order situation at some stage as the scenario could provide grounds to the opposition parties to easily mislead the masses.

Education is a provincial subject and the provincial government may take decisions at its will as very rightly remarked by the prime minister in his recent visit to Karachi, Mr Bokhari has maintained.

Drawing attention to the concurrent list, he referred to the 4th schedule of Article 70(4), particularly item No. 38 of the Constitution, which defines the purview as:

“38. Curriculum, syllabus, planning, policy, centres of excellence and standards of education.”

The minister said that he had come to know that the composite examination system for SSC (IXth and Xth) has dawned upon education department through coercion of the Ministry of Education, Government of Pakistan.

He has also quoted President Pervez Musharraf as saying that “devolution to the grassroots level is the destiny of Pakistan and its people. And, as such, any person trying to deviate from that course should be held culprit in the history and in the eyes of Pakistani nation.”

In all developed countries, semester system is in vogue which manifests decentralisation and if we opt for composite examination, we will be moving away from decentralisation, maintains Mr Bokhari.

Indicating that the existing examination system is poor-friendly, the minister argued that people did not feel burden of expenditure as admission, enrolment and examination fees, as well as the expenses incurring on books, copies and other requisite educational material would be payable over a period of two years while in the composite exam system, parents would have to arrange for a heavy amount of money to meet all these expenses in lump sum.

In case of the composite examination, schools would have to employ teachers of all subjects at a time and this would be extremely difficult for them amid the current dearth of such professionals in certain subjects, like English, Physics, Chemistry, etc., he further argued.