KARACHI, Aug 23: It is over three weeks since the new academic year began and the students, their parents and teachers are still not clear about the use of new books released by the Sindh Textbook Board (STB) despite a number of meetings and hectic decisions of the Sindh Education department.
The worst affected are the students of class IX, who would be taking their examinations under different education boards in 2006.
According to a source in the education department, the STB recently released at least three new books on the subjects of Chemistry, Biology and Pakistan Studies for class IX students, and most students have purchased the new books.
However, the Sindh Education department has so far not made it clear if the new book on Pakistan Studies would be taught to students of class IX in schools.
It is learnt that the education department has sent copies of decisions reached at a meeting of an “expert committee”, held on August 12 for spelling out a scheme of studies for classes IX and X, to educational boards of Sindh for “further necessary action”.
Interpreting the letter and minutes of the meeting, the official concerned said that what he had been given to understand was that a status quo would be maintained as far as the scheme of studies for classes IX and X was concerned.
However, the new textbooks of Chemistry I and II and Biology I and II printed by the STB would be taught to students of class IX from the current academic year; and students would be examined in the said subjects in the SSC annual examinations 2006 from the new books, he added.
To a question, the official said the notification of the education department would be placed in a meeting of the Academic Council of the BSE, Karachi, likely to be convened in the second week of September for consideration.
After the content of the letters are adopted by the committee, affiliated schools would be formally advised and issued guidelines, he added.
When asked what would be the policy in the case of the Pakistan Studies book, the official said that since the education department’s circular was silent on the issue, he had nothing to say.
On the other hand, many schools have started teaching the new Pakistan Studies book, while others are either continuing with the old book or waiting for instructions from high-ups.
Some of the schools, in the absence of any directive, have asked the students who have already purchased the new books to get the old book as that would be taught to them, it was learnt.
Some parents complained that the new Pakistan Studies book was not easily available in the market.
However, when contacted, the Technical Director of the STB, Masood Qureshi, said a sufficient stock of the new title of Pakistan Studies, marketed very recently, was available.
To a question, he said the book, on the instructions of the federal government, had been compiled and issued by the STB, and responsibility of introducing the new book for class IX lay with the Sindh Education department.
The academic wing of the education department was the authority to decide whether the new book would be taught from the current academic year and whether students would accordingly be examined in the SSC annual examinations 2006 or not, he added.
Students and teachers are naturally confused. They said it was surprising that the authorities, both in the education department and educational boards, were slumbering over such a crucial issue, particularly when the precious academic period was running out.