Sources in the Sindh education department said that it had been facing enormous criticism over a federal minister’s verdict that the old and effective annual system of examinations for the class IX and X annual under the educational boards should be done away and students be tested once in two years time against what they had been taught during the last two years.
If the decision, which was virtually endorsed at the education ministers’ moot about four months ago, is due to become effective from 2007 and as such the students of class IX would not be needed to take their respective exams in 2006.
In view of the resentments and reservations of the students, parents and the teaching community, Sindh Chief Minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim, on Oct 21 had ordered for the restoration of the old system of two separate exams for Class IX and X students in the province and directed the Sindh education department to implement his directives through the educational board of the province.
However, on ground no development was seen in the province and the students continued to remain in a state of confusion and unrest in the absence of any notification.
The Sindh chief minister had also urged the federal government to make necessary headway so that the students could appear in the respective exams with a peace of mind, added a source.
Justifying the delay in regard to the implementation of the chief minister’s directives, an official of the department said that the department was aware of the problems and overburdening of the students, but it had to wait till the 9th meeting of the education ministers, which was now being held with Federal Education Minister Lt-Gen Javed Ashraf Qazi in chair on Tuesday.
Though the department had not moved formally for the inclusion of the review issue on the agenda of the meeting, but it had decided to raise the issue, with the permission of the chair at the meeting, said another source.
In the meantime a large number of school students from different parts of the city gathered at the Karachi Press Club and raised their concerns over the introduction of the composite examination system, which according to them was an arbitrary decision, directly affecting about 250,000 SSC-level students.
Regretting the decision in question, the students, said that the idea of the new system was taken at a time while other educational boards were also switching over to the two separate examinations for Classes IX and X.
Students said that at no stage the students, parents and the teachers were consulted before the adoption of the relevant resolution by the ministers’ forum, while on the other hand none of the high officials could come up with any justification for the said decision .
The meeting of education ministers, among other items on agenda, is likely to consider replacing the two separate exam system for HSC students with one composite or joint exams, reallocation of theory and practical examination marks for social science and science subjects at the SSC and HSC levels, national textbook policy, education sector reforms, missing facilities in schools, uniform academic session, elimination of O/A level exams.