KARACHI, Aug 12: The Sindh minister for Education and Literacy, Dr Hamida Khuhro, has again reviewed the centralized admission policy (CAP) in the Karachi's colleges , and directed the chairman, CAP to finalize the academic schedule along with completion of admissions.

She also directed that the admission process be completed in rural Sindh as well by the first week of September, further saying that it be ensured that no student was left without admission.

Dr Khuhro issued these directives while presiding over a meeting of the steering committee on education on Thursday. The committee reviewed the educational policy, admission process, timely start of academic sessions in educational institutions, and holding of exams in a coordinated manner etc.

Secretary Education Nadir Ali Markhiani, Special Secretary Sohail Akbar Shah, heads of all educational boards, representatives of public universities, the Sindh Textbook Board, the Bureau of Curricula, and others participated in the meeting. Additional Secretary, Higher Education Anwar Ahmed Zai briefed the minister about the last meeting's decisions.

The minister emphasized the need for close coordination among all provincial educational boards, universities and the education department to ensure that the educational process continued without any pause.

She also asked the representatives of boards and varsities to timely announce examination results to save the careers of students. Meanwhile, the steering committee kept the vacation dates unchanged as under: winter vacations from December 23, 2004 to January 1, 2005; summer vacations from June 1, 2005 to July 31, 2005.

The Friday timings of two-shift schools in Karachi were changed; the morning-shift schools would now end before Juma prayers, and the second-shift one after Juma prayers. It also decided that students having attendance of 75 per cent and above would be eligible for appearing in exams.

The committee also reviewed the text of primary-level education and decided to strictly implement the teaching of English along Urdu, and an integrated course comprising simple maths and basic Islamiat from primary level.

Dr Khuhro in this regard directed that the course/text at primary level be simplified so as to reduce the burden of books off children. The minister directed that a plan be made for imparting technical teaching of various trades and skills to students of mid-levels/classes. She said that even uniforms for students had been waved off.

Dr Khuhro said that computer literacy was the basic need of the developed world, which enable youths to compete in the job market. It was announced that the finance department and the planners both at the federal and provincial levels would be asked to place the required funds for developing computer laboratories at all colleges of the province. - PPI