Campus clashes - Jamshoro Sindh

It is unsettling that Pakistan's universities are once more emerging as hot spots of violence and confrontation. Last week proved to be a particularly bad one in that respect. On Aug 7, the Jeay Sindh Students Federation-A clashed with the Sindh People's Students Federation at the MUET campus (Jamshoro) resulting in the death of a JSSF leader and the suspension of exams and classes. Three days later, Punjab University became the scene of clashes between the Islami Jamiat Tulaba and the university staff on the issue of setting up admission stalls. There was a dispute between the two parties in both the cases. But more significant than that was the method adopted by the student leaders in addressing their differences. On neither ocassion was a serious effort made to resolve the dispute by talking it over and reaching a compromise. Worse still, the rival groups pulled out weapons and sticks and resorted to physical violence. In Sindh, disciplinary measures have now been taken to restore peace.

There are several factors behind the violence. Students unions have still to be fully restored and various student organisations have not been allowed to function in a democratic and regulated framework where they could learn to operate with a sense of responsibility. Moreover, all the student bodies are closely linked with and influenced, even controlled, by political parties. Thus the students tend to be exploited by political parties seeking to expand their base in the student population. While all this is bad enough, the university administrations make matters worse by taking sides. Their failure to maintain their neutrality and adopt an even-handed approach encourages the side being favoured to become more aggressive. This only exacerbates the crisis.

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Mounting KU budget deficit may add to students' woes

Karachi: Karachi University's administration seems to have taken a grave financial risk when it increased salaries of its employees from its own resources this July, ignoring the huge budget deficit that it claims has risen from Rs140 million in 2007-08 to Rs340.351 million in 2008-09.

With this increase in the salaries, the budget shortfall would further increase next year and could lead to a major increase in fees as well as to a compromise on student facilities, according to sources.

It is worth mentioning that the university's budget document 2009-10 is showing a 20 per cent increase in revenue from own resources. These resources, according to teachers, comprise the university's income from student fees under different heads.

The deficit, according to the KU's budget document, is on account of salary increases of 40 per cent during the last several years for which no supplementary grant was provided. The increase in the cost of utilities has also affected the institution's cash position. The university has not yet received the grant of this quarter starting from July.

The federal government had announced a 15 to 20 per cent ad hoc relief in pay and allowances along with pension in this year's budget. However, no funds have been released to the Higher Education Commission (HEC) for this purpose.

Contrary to what the KU is doing, the NED University of Engineering and Technology refused to increase the employees' salaries till the finance division releases funds.

Justifying the increase in the employees' salaries, the KU director finance, S.M. Khalid, said that the KU was a big university with bigger problems and pressures. "Everybody is being affected by the rising inflation. We have asked the HEC to compensate and provide us with a supplementary grant."

The finance managers at the KU believe that the HEC would provide the said amount and there would not be any increase in student fees other than what is proposed in the budget.

At present, the university has about 500 teaching and 2,500 non-teaching staff whose increase in salaries and allowances cost Rs78.012 million. Apart from these expenses, the university has requested an additional grant of Rs47.4 million from the HEC.

Against the proposed recurring budget allocation of Rs1,350.342m, the HEC has approved a sum of Rs981.71 million.

Budget loopholes
An interesting aspect of the budget episode at the KU is that the proposed budget document, prepared by its budget officers, is sent to the HEC without getting it first approved by the finance committee, the syndicate and the senate. This practice has been in vogue for many years while no audit report for years 2006, 2007 and 2008 has been presented in the relevant statutory forums so far.

The senate, which, according to the university code, considers and passes a resolution on the annual report, the annual statements of accounts, and the annual revised budget estimates, has not held any meetings in the last three years and the budget is approved by the syndicate.

According to university teachers, though the practice is not against the university code, as it gives authority to the vice chancellor and the chancellor to take decisions on behalf of the syndicate and the senate, respectively, it definitely opens the door for manipulation and make the process less transparent.

The issue was raised in the last syndicate meeting held on July 25, which decided to set up a committee to bring improvements in the budget-making exercise.

Commenting, the syndicate's nominee in the finance committee, Prof Dr Shakeel-ur-Rehman Farooqui, said: "The committee set up by the syndicate has started working and for the first time the departments have been involved in the budget-making process, as they have been asked about their requirements and expenses in writing. The body will ensure regular meetings of the finance committee that will help prepare a better budget."

About the audit reports, he said the matter was taken up in the last syndicate's meeting and it was decided that the audit reports would be presented before the finance committee after they were finalised by the director-general audit, Sindh.

In reply to a question on long delays in the release of a recurring grant, Professor Dr G.A. Miana, the HEC nominee in the KU syndicate, said that the delay was in fact on the part of the government and not the commission.

On the KU's deficit budget, he said: "It's all manipulation of numbers. The universities show deficit to get more grant. That's all."

Students' interests
According to KU teachers, there has been a sharp increase in student fees in recent years along with the decline in government funding. For instance, the monthly tuition fees of MS/PhD programme has been increased 10 times in three years while its admission fees has been raised eight times.

According to the budget document 2009-10, there was an 11pc increase in revenue from own resources from2006-07 to 2008-09 and there would be a further 20pc increase in 2009-10. The university is expected to earn Rs490 million in 2009-10 as compared to the last year's income of Rs413.650.The university spent only 3.27 per cent of the total released grant of Rs631.645 in 2007-08 on research and survey; 2.68 per cent on the purchase of chemicals and glassware; 2.56 per cent on books and journals. Almost half of the amount was spent on pay and allowances.

"A sorry state of affairs obtains at the university. The administration is increasing fees every year, but providing few facilities to students. The meagre lab recurring grant is a shame which is received after much delay. It is unfortunate that the university has paid no attention to improving old departments when it was getting huge amounts from once thriving HEC. Instead, it set up a number of new infrastructures without developing a sustainable plan for their smooth functioning," remarked a teacher. Dawn

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NWFP medical and dental colleges admission test

11,214 take test for NWFP medical colleges
Peshawar, Aug 17: Heavy windstorm hampered the timely arrangement of entry test for the public sector medical and dental colleges in the NWFP held simultaneously here and at the Abbottabad centre on Sunday.

The test was scheduled to be started at 9.30 a.m. at Karnal Sher Khan Stadium in Peshawar and at the Ayub Medical Complex in Abbottabad. The management and students, however, faced serious difficulty when the windstorm uprooted the tents put up to serve as the examination hall at Karnal Sher Khan Stadium. The organisers managed to erect the tents and start the entry test at 11 a.m.

Due to the situation in Peshawar, the test at Abbottabad too was delayed so that it could be held simultaneously at both the centres to avoid any paper leakage or use of unfair means. A total of 11,214 candidates, including 6,250 male students and 5,700 females, appeared in the test. Students would be selected for admission to the eight public sector medical colleges in the province - Khyber Medical College, Peshawar; Khyber Medical College for Girls, Peshawar; Ayub Medical College, Abbottabad; Saidu Medical College, Swat; Gomal Medical College, DI Khan; Bannu Medical College, Kohat Medical College and the newly established Bacha Khan Medical College, Mardan - and one dental college - Khyber College of Dentistry, Peshawar.

A senior official of the Educational Testing and Evaluation Agency (ETEA), who was present on the occasion to conduct the entry test said that it was held in a fair and transparent manner. He said that the results of the test would be declared within 48 hours and would be displayed on the official website of ETEA. The news

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Parallel exam systems in educational institutions Pakistan

Parallel exam systems to be reviewed
Islamabad, Aug 17: The government on Saturday informed the National Assembly that by year 2010 it will review the existing examination systems running parallel to each other in the country which have created disparity in society.

At present, educational institutions both in the public and private sectors, which are affiliated with government examination boards, follow the national curriculum, whereas there are private sector institutions which conduct their examinations under foreign examining bodies; hence follow their respective curriculums, Federal Minister for Education Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani informed the house in a written reply.

During a meeting of the inter-provincial education ministers held in December 2005 at Karachi, the Punjab education department had proposed elimination of 'O' and 'A' level examinations in the country.

The meeting observed that since 'O' and 'A' level examination systems followed completely different curriculums than the government schools and colleges, they were responsible for creating disparity in the society. Therefore, a suggestion was made by Punjab to eliminate these foreign-based examination systems and replace them with local examination boards.

However, the meeting decided that under the current scenario it was not possible to immediately do away with the 'O' and 'A' level examination systems and the position would be reviewed in 2010.

To introduce uniformity in the curriculum and examination systems, provincial examination boards had already been asked by the federal government to follow one curriculum and uniform system of examinations. Dawn

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BISE Lahore Inter part-I & II suppl exam in Oct

Lahore: Intermediate Part-I & II (Supplementary) Examinations 2009 of Board of Intermediate & Secondary Education (BISE), Lahore, will commence on October 10, 2009. According to BISE result gazette, admission forms without late fee can be submitted till September 10. The last date of the admission forms with double fee is September 17 while with triple fee the last date is September 24.
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Karachi University B.A, B.Com, B.O.L, B.Sc Registration forms

B.A/B.Com/B.O.L/B.Sc external exams forms
Karachi, Aug 17: Registration forms for B.A, B.Com, B.O.L, B.Sc and improvement of division for external examinations 2009 will be accepted till August 29, 2009, with the original fee of Rs1,800, University of Karachi (KU) Registrar Prof. M. Rais Alvi announced on Sunday. The registration forms are available at the NBP and UBL Counter at the KU Silver Jubilee Gate. The forms will be endorsed by the registration (external) Unit Examinations counter at the gate. The news
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Karachi college admissions date extendedCollege admissions date extended to 22nd

Karachi, Aug 17: The last date for admissions to first year classes in colleges of the city has been extended to August 22.

The director-general of colleges, Prof (Dr) Rafiq Ahmed Siddiqui, made this announcement on Saturday.

He said that the date was extended following requests from parents of students that the Board of Secondary Education Karachi had not yet issued mark-sheets among all students.

Therefore, the last date of issuance and submission of placement forms for class XI under the Centralised Admission Policy had been extended to August 22 to facilitate candidates applying for admissions to colleges, he added. App

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Education in Hunza

No doubt Hunza, known for its fruit orchards, lofty mountains, panoramic meadows and breathtaking beauty, is a major tourist attraction, but it is equally interesting to explore the educational initiatives that have empowered the local community there and set an example for other areas.

Those who are familiar with the difficult terrain and relatively scarce resources in Hunza would be pleasantly surprised to know that the literacy rate in Hunza is around 77 per cent. This must have been unthinkable when the first primary school was established there in 1913 by the British in India. The single-most important factor that transformed the educational scene in Hunza was the contribution of Aga Khan III, Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah, who convinced the then Mirs of Hunza state to place greater emphasis on education.

It was in 1946 that some 16 schools were established. They were called the Diamond Jubilee schools and they set the right momentum for bringing changes to education in Hunza.

The second important initiative came when the Pakistan government started opening public schools in the Northern Areas, including Hunza. The demand for education grew but the number of schools did not meet educational requirements. With people finding that schooling was accessible two more problems were becoming visible: the quality of education and education for girls.

The third important initiative in Hunza was the establishment of a quality school for girls whose sole criterion of admission was merit. The Academy, with hostel facilities, was founded in 1983 when Karim Aga Khan laid the foundation of the academy. He said he hoped that the Academy would, "provide a genuine foundation for self-generating progress in the future". The establishment of the Academy was a strong motivation for the opening of private schools focusing on the quality of education.

The fourth initiative to have an impact on educational life in Hunza was the establishment of community schools. These schools were a welcome addition as they gave the local community a sense of participation and ownership. In 1991 a model community school, Al-Amyn Model School, was established in Gulmit, a beautiful village of Hunza. This school helped re-establish the broken linkage between school and home. Here parents and grandparents are invited to share their wisdom with the younger generation. Parents come to know that their knowledge is not obsolete and that the younger generation can benefit from it. The success of Al-Amyn heralded the establishment of a number of community schools over the years.

The fifth initiative was the establishment of the Karakoram University in Gilgit. A number of students of Hunza are benefiting. The university may also create jobs for the local population.

The sixth factor contributing to the quality of education is the role of the different Aga Khan organisations that have played an effective role in the improvement of education by establishing schools and empowering them through capacity-building measures, and by facilitating students through scholarship. One initiative was the establishment of the Professional Development Centre in Gilgit. The centre helped train a number of teachers from Hunza by offering short- and long-term courses.

The seventh factor is the rising awareness among the local people who have come to view education as the passport to enhanced opportunities in life. There seems to be urgency in terms of acquiring education. Parents in Hunza are convinced that the best thing they can do for their children is to help them get a good education. There is a growing interest in higher education for girls. Parents are willing to send their daughters to distant cities e.g. Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar etc. for quality education. It is an approach that distinguishes Hunza from the rest of the Northern Areas.

Lastly, there is a cordial relationship among the different stakeholders. There seems to be a good working relationship between the directorate of education, the Aga Khan organisations, the local community and foreign funding agencies. It is this collaborative approach that makes things happen.

Hunza's educational story has many lessons for other areas of Pakistan where talent is not properly exploited. It shows us that difficulties and challenges can be overcome if the leadership has political will and if the community is trusted and involved in planning and the execution of educational plans.

The writer is director of Centre for Humanities and Social Sciences at the Lahore School of Economics and author of Rethinking Education in Pakistan. -By Dr Shahid Siddiqui, shahidksiddiqui@yahoo.com (Dawn)

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Karachi Board : Pre-Medical mark sheets available

Karachi: Assistant Secretary (Coordination), Abdul Haris Farooqi, Board of Intermediate Education Karachi, announced on Tuesday that mark sheets of Higher Secondary Schools (Class XII) Pre-Medical Group are available now. He said that authorised representatives of the higher schools or colleges affiliated to the board could come and take the mark sheets.
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Punjab medical and dental institutions admission test

Entrance test on Sept 27
Lahore, Aug 12: The entrance test for admission to the medical and dental institutions of the province will be held on Sunday (September 27) while the admission-kit containing prospectus, application and admission forms and an Orientation CD will be available at all medical and dental colleges across the Punjab from August 20.

This was stated by University of Health Sciences (UHS) Vice Chancellor Prof M H Mubbashar while chairing a meeting of the Taskforce on Entrance Test for admission to the medical and dental institutions of the Punjab which was held at the University of Health Sciences (UHS) on Tuesday. He further informed the members that candidates could submit their application forms from August 27.

He also said that 13 centres would be established in 12 cities for the entrance test adding the government would make special security arrangements at all these centres. The members of the taskforce congratulated UHS on introducing Self-Scoring System in Entrance Test for the first time in Pakistan. They also appreciated government decision to hold entrance test for FSc and A-Level candidates from their respective books and syllabi.

The members of the taskforce included Dr Ali Cheema of LUMS, Prof Eice Muhammad, Dr Allah Bakhsh Malik, Prof Amer Aziz, Dr Naeemuddin Mian, Shaista Pervaiz Malik, Nusrat Jamil, Prof Wasiq Ahmed Khan and also representatives of Punjab Health and Higher Education departments.

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Punjab high merit for intermediate admissions

All times high merit for inter-disciplines admissions
Lahore, Aug 12: The merit for admission to intermediate disciplines in colleges and varsities of the City has increased tremendously as compared to the last year.

As a result even the position-holders or toppers in respective colleges may not get admission to reputed educational institutes like the Government College University (GCU), Forman Christian College University, Lahore College for Women University (LCWU) and Punjab College. In the second line of preference are the Government Science College, Government Islamia College Civil Lines, Government Muhammaden Anglo Oriental (MAO) College etc.

The most lucrative GCU and LCWU, which cater intermediate classes, have the highest of all merit.

The GCU which displayed its first merit list on Tuesday registered 974 out of 1050 marks for admission to the discipline of Pre-Engineering. It may drop to a few marks in second or third merit lists. However, last year's merit for admission to Pre-Engineering classes was 782 out of 850 marks.

After Pre-Engineering and Pre-Medical, Computer Science with Physics or Statistics are the potential subjects showing high merit.

The last year's merit in GCU stood at 783, 775, 712, 736, 764, and 723 for Pre-Engg, Pre-Med, General Science, ICS (Phy), ICS (Stat) and Arts (Compulsory) disciplines respectively.

The last year merit in FC College remained 768, 762, 685, 685, 600, 600 for admissions to the disciplines of Pre-Engg, Pre-Med, Gen Sc, ICS (Phy), ICS (Stat) and Arts respectively.

Government Islamia College Civil Lines - 728, 667, 404, 575, 627, 525, 470 in Pre-Engg, Pre-Med, Gen Sc, ICS (Phy), ICS (Stat), Arts and Arts (comp). Government Science College, Wahdat Road - 693, 648, 425, 620, 562, 456, 402 and 635 respectively for Pre-Engg, Pre-Med, Gen Science, ICS (Phy), ICS (Stat) Arts, Arts (Com) and I-Com.

Government Islamia College, Railway Road - 600, 550, 430, 450 and 400 in Pre-Engg, Pre-Med, Gen Science, ICS (Phy) and ICS (Stat) respectively.

Government College, Township - 650, 700 in Pre-Engg and Pre-Med, 550 in ICS (Phy), 600 in ICS (Stat) and 500 in Arts.

Government Model Degree College - 602 & 550 for Pre-Engg and Pre-Med, and 400 in Arts.

Government Dyal Singh College - 530 and 475 in Pre-Engg and Pre-Med, 450 for ICS (Phy), 550 in I-Com and open-merit in Arts. The Nation

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Karachi Colleges admissions CAP placement list

First CAP list to be issued before Ramazan
Karachi, Aug 12: The Centralised Admission Policy (CAP) committee will issue a day before Ramazan the first placement list of candidates seeking admission to the first-year home economics and computer science groups in government colleges of the city, provincial director-general of colleges Prof (Dr) Rafique Ahmed Siddiqui said on Tuesday.

Prof Siddiqui, who is also the chairman of the CAP committee, said that although the last date for purchasing and submitting admission forms had been extended to Aug 15, scrutiny of the admission forms that had been received so far had already been begun by the committee.

Answering another question, he said that over 77,000 admission prospectuses had been sold by Monday while the CAP committee had, so far, received 45,000 admission forms.

He said that 82,000 admissions were given last year in government colleges, and their number would cross the 90,000 figure this year.

Prof Siddiqui said that with a view to accommodating all fresh matric students, the number of government colleges in the city was being increased from 123 to 130.

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Sindh University (SU) B.A Part-II exam result

SU announces BA results
Hyderabad, Aug 13: The University of Sindh has announced the results of B.A pass Part-II of Annual Examinations 2008.

Of 6,098 candidates 4,716 were declared successful with 167 in first division, 4,055 in second and 494 in third division.

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Punjab schools summer vacations extended

Summer vacations extended in Punjab schools
Lahore, Aug 15: The Punjab government has extended the summer vacations limit till August 30, and the educational institutions across the province now will reopen on Aug 31.

The announcement was made by Provincial Minister for Local Government and Community Development Sardar Dost Muhammad Khosa at a Press conference here Friday. Secretary Higher Education and Secretary Schools were also present on this occasion.

It may be mentioned that as per the announcement made by the Punjab government the educational institutions were scheduled to reopen on August 15 (today), but the government had extended the limit, keeping in view the scorching summer heat and the ongoing electricity crisis in the province.

The Minister further said that the government had also requested private schools to follow the decision and open their institutes on August 31, 2009.

When asked that why the Education Minister was not there to announce the same extension, Khosa replied that as the Chief Minister Punjab had directed all the ministers to attend flag-hoisting ceremonies at various districts on the eve of the Independence Day of Pakistan, therefore Education Minister Mian Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman could not make this announcement.

To another question regarding local government system, Khosa said that certain politicians wanted to politicise the issue as they had negative approach towards this issue.

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Intermediate pre-medical exams result 2009

Inter pre-medical results: 114 colleges show dismal performance this year
Karachi, Aug 15: The pass percentage of as many as 114 colleges, including 69 government colleges, of the city in the Intermediate science (pre-medical) annual examinations-2009 remained below 30 per cent. The performance of 43 colleges - 29 government-run and 14 private - appeared to be so abysmal that their pass percentage was between 10 and zero.

A cursory look at the statistics of the results shows that not a single student of a large number of government and private colleges and higher secondary schools could get through the examination in A1 or A grade.

More than 15,500 candidates belonging to 192 (123 government-run and 69 private) colleges appeared in the examination conducted by the Board of Intermediate Education Karachi (BIEK). Around 12,650 of the candidates were female and 3,319 male candidates.

Attributing the dismal performance to a shortage of teachers and overcrowding in the colleges' classrooms, officials of the provincial education department and senior professors maintained that one should not expect better performance from government colleges as long as these issues remained unresolved.

When the city's regional director (colleges), Prof Ms Munawwar Shafiq, was asked to comment, she said there were several factors behind the poor performance of government colleges but the major one was a shortage of teachers.

She was, however, reluctant to recount other factors.

President of the Sindh Professors and Lecturers Association, Karachi chapter, Prof Ather Hussain Mirza mentioned a few which included overcrowding of classrooms, insufficient funds for undertaking experiments in laboratories and a decreasing number of academic days.

Giving a rough estimate, he said there was a shortage of around 1,300 to 1,400 teachers in government colleges of the city. Besides, he added, the existing SNE (sanctioned new establishment) of various colleges was approved long ago when the number of students per class used to be quite less than the current average of 120. "Although it is mandatory under the board's calendar that the ratio of students in a class should not be above 1:80, the condition is often overlooked as 120 students are being admitted to first-year classes in the city's government colleges for the last two years," he pointed out.

Prof Mirza observed that owing to the shortage of teachers neither teachers nor students could manage to complete the syllabus in an academic year.

In reply to a question, he said there was a shortage of English, Urdu, Physics and Chemistry teachers, besides those for different commerce subjects.

Describing the government colleges' laboratory funds as insufficient for experiments, he said that since the funds were released by the education department in two instalments (in June and December each year) the amount released in June often got lapsed, for colleges remained unable to invite tenders for chemicals and lab equipment by the end of the financial year.

Endorsing Prof Mirza's views, Karachi SPLA secretary Prof Iftikhar Azmi said there was also an acute shortage of teachers for social sciences, civics and general history in government colleges. He remarked that performance of government college students could not improve until the issue was resolved once and for all.

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IBMS teachers demand regularisation of services

Peshawar: The teachers of the Institute of Business and Management Studies, NWFP Agricultural University, have demanded of the university administration to regularise their services and approve proper service structure for them.

Speaking at a news conference here on Thursday president of IBMS Teachers Association Shah Hassan said the institute should be given an autonomous status on the pattern of Institute of Management Sciences, Hayatabad if the university administration did not want to accord the status of a complete institute to the IBMS.

Flanked by other male and female lecturers of the institute, Shah said that IBMS was set up in 1998 on self-finance basis. He said the institute had produced several thousands graduates in management, computer and information technology disciplines so far, but its teachers had been working on contract basis without having any service structure.

The teacher said the institute had enrolled around 5000 students, while the total number of students in the 12 departments and two other institutes of the Agricultural University were 2,372.

He maintained that for the 5,000 students of IBMS a total of 104 teachers, including three professors, had been appointed, while 190 teachers were there for the 2,372 students of other departments of the varsity.

He said the teachers of the institute since its establishment had been demanding of the university administration to announce service structure for them, but to no avail. Shah said after the IBMS, universities were set up in Malakand, Hazara, Kohat and Mardan, whose teachers had been regularised, but no step was taken for the regularisation of IBMS teachers. The university administration even ignored the directives of the government.

He said the university had been showing the students of IBMS as its strength to the Higher Education Commission so that maximum funds could be grabbed, but no penny was being spent on the IBMS. The institute was rather a money-making machine for the university as it gave an earning of Rs800 million during the last six years, while in 2009 only an amount of Rs180 million was earned from the institute.

Despite this no step for improvement of the working condition of teachers has been taken. The teachers have even been deprived of ad hoc relief announced for faculty members in budget.

He said the university had been exploiting the teachers. In this time of severe price hike, the teachers are given the minimum salary of Rs11,900 per month with only Rs600 annual increment, which is insufficient to make both the ends meet.

Similarly, the teachers of IBMS cannot avail HEC scholarship, as they are not granted study leave, he added. Earlier, the teachers staged a protest demonstration outside Peshawar Press Club to press the university administration for acceptance if their demands. The news
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I-Day celebrated in FJWU

Rawalpindi: As per tradition, the Independence Day was celebrated whole-heartedly and enthusiastically at Fatima Jinnah Women University (FJWU), Rawalpindi, on Friday.

The Independence Day ceremony was held at 10:00am. Vice-chancellor of Fatima Jinnah Women University, Prof Dr Saeeda Asadullah Khan hoisted the national flag.

The event formally started with the recitation from the holy Quran by Aaliya Jawad, lecturer Department of Education, and culminated with special prayers for the prosperity and solidarity of the country.

The vice-chancellor in her address said that August 14 is the day of reviving the promise and commitment to make the country prosperous.

She said that our forefathers had made huge sacrifices to get an independent homeland and now they had to use their fullest capacity to make the country achieve the new destinations of success.

She advised the students to keenly follow unity, faith and discipline, principles of the great leader of the nation, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

A prize distribution ceremony was also held to award prizes to the winners of radio drama competitions, organised earlier in connection with the Independence Day celebrations.

Students from various departments participated in the competition with fullest zeal and fervor. The vice-chancellor, Professor Dr Saeeda Asadullah Khan awarded the prizes to the winning students and applauded their efforts.

The first prize in the radio drama competition went to the Department of Islamic Studies while the second and third prizes were awarded to the Department of Defence and Diplomatic Studies and Department of Bachelors of Computer Arts respectively.

Certificates of appreciation were also awarded to the English and Behavioural Sciences Departments acknowledging the volunteer participation of their students in the campus radio VOW (Fm 96.6 Mhz).

The university premises, decorated with beautiful lights, was giving a festive look. Students from different departments of the university paid tribute to the holy land in the form of national songs while the Faculty and Staff members were served with sweets and breakfast.

Later in the day, the third anniversary of the FJWU Campus Radio was also celebrated. Radio VOW (96.6) arranged a live transmission based on Independence Day special programnes from 8:00am to 4:00pm to commemorate the auspicious day of National Independence.

Thirty, special participation certificates were distributed among the students of different departments who have been participating in Radio VOW's programmes on Voluntary basis throughout the year. The nation
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PAF Air War College graduation ceremony

Karachi: A graduation ceremony was held at PAF Air War College to award the certificates to the graduates of No 51 Senior Command and Staff Course. Air Marshal Waseem ud Din, Deputy Chief of Air Staff (Admin) was the Chief Guest.

The Chief Guest awarded the certificates and trophies to the graduating Airmen. Wing Commander Fawad Zahir was awarded the top graduate trophy for overall best performance. While addressing the graduating Airmen, the chief guest said, "PAF is in the phase of transformation and in coming years, technology-intensive platforms and weapons would be inducted.

To allow smooth influx of technology and its optimal utilisation, it is imperative that the PAF personnel are trained on modern lines. Therefore, efforts are being made in all the realms of training to educate the PAF personnel with sound intellectual capacities so that they could carry out their future tasks in an efficient manner. The induction of high-tech technology coupled with well-trained manpower will transform PAF into a very potent force, second to none".

Earlier, on his arrival at the Air War College, the Chief Guest was received by Commandant Air War College Air Vice Marshal Tubrez Asif.

PAF Air War College is the premier institution of Pakistan Air Force, where mid level officers of Pakistan Armed Forces and friendly countries are prepared for assumption of key Command & Staff appointments. The nation
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Exam toppers hoist flag across Punjab

Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said hoisting of national flag on Independence Day by position-holders in the province is an acknowledgement of the hard work and commitment to studies.

On his directions, like provincial metropolis where Ali Murtaza and Hafiz Muhammad hoisted the flag, position holder students of matriculation examination performed flag hoisting during Independence Day celebrations in all other districts of the province.

In Sargodha, student Wajiha Noor Syed of Presentation Convent School obtaining first position with 1024 marks in matriculation examination in Sargodha Board hoisted flag whereas Shoaib Raza of Garrison High School Taunsa obtaining first position with 1005 marks participated as chief guest in the Independence Day celebrations at Dera Ghazi Khan and hoisted flag. Muhammad Mudassar Abdullah of Assofa Model High School hoisted flag at Mianwali. He has got first position in the district obtaining 995 marks in matriculation examination. In Layyah, Muhammad Ali Ramazan Gormani of Government High School Chak No.120 TDA obtaining first position in the district with 996 marks in matriculation examination hoisted flag whereas in District Bahawalnagar, Muneeba Nasir of Sir Syed Girls High School Chishtian with 1005 marks, Baraira Ahmed of Fauji Foundation School Bahawalnagar obtaining 993 marks and Tabinda Noor of Divisional Public School Bahawalnagar obtaining 992 marks who have got first second and third positions in Bahawalpur Board respectively hoisted flag in the district.

In district Chakwal, Muhammad Daniyal Noman of Cadet College Kalarkahar obtaining first position in matriculation examination in the district with 985 marks hoisted flag. Anika Gulzar of Brain School of Sciences hoisted flag in District Sialkot.

She had obtained first position in district Sialkot with 1011 marks. Hafiz Muhammad Arsalan of Educator School Narowal obtaining first position with 994 marks in matriculation examination in district Narowal hoisted flag. Abdul Aziz of Superior Science Academy Muzaffargarh hoisted flag in district Muzaffargarh. He has got first position in matriculation examination in the district with 1007 marks. Muhammad Asghar of Government High School Talkaut, Muzaffargarh who have obtained 890 marks in matriculation examination was also present on the flag hoisting ceremony.

Muneeza Bakht of Fauji Foundation Model Study School for Girls, Fateh Jang, obtaining first position in the district with 994 marks in matriculation examination was the chief guest during flag hoisting ceremony at district Attock.

Zohaib Ahmed of Government Boys High School Haveli Lakha Tehsil Depalpur, who had obtained first position in the district in matriculation examination with 1005 marks, was chief guest during flag hoisting ceremony at District Okara. In district Rajanpur, Yasmeen Khan of Almumtaz Girls Model School Jampur hoisted flag at District Rajanpur. She has obtained first position in matriculation examination with 1005 marks in Dera Ghazi Khan Educational Board. In District Khanewal, Ayesha Ikram of Jhang Scholar School Jahanian hoisted flag. She has obtained first position in matriculation examination with 1014 marks in Education Board Multan.

A disabled student Zahid Ali of Khanewal who obtained prominent position in matriculation examination also attended the ceremony. Muhammad Jahangir Mughal of Sir Syed Scholars Inn who has obtained first position in the district in matriculation examination with 988 marks hoisted flag at District Hafizabad.

Abdul Basit of Government Model High School Bhakkar was the chief guest in flag hoisting ceremony at District Bhakkar. He has got first position in matriculation examination in Sargodha Board obtaining 1017 marks.

Shahbaz Sharif said it was their right, which had been denied in the past. He said that he was pleased to see the self-confidence in them and it was hoped that they would perform outstandingly in every sector for ensuring a bright future for the country.

After performing flag hoisting ceremony along with top position holders of Lahore Board Ali Murtaza and Hafiz Muhammad, the CM said poor educational system was the basic reason of ignorance. "Therefore, provision of quality education is our top priority. Now no student will leave his education incomplete due to non-availability of resources," he added. The nation
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Malakand DAE examination | IBMS teachers, NWFP

DAE examination
Peshawar, Aug 15: The Board of Technical Education has issued roll number slips to the candidates of Malakand division appearing in the DAE (diploma of associate engineering) annual examination, which would start from August 17.

A notification issued here said those students whose one or more papers failed in Part-I, II or III and had received the roll numbers should reach the following centers. The students of GPI Warai would take exam at GHSS Warai and that of GPI Timergara at their institute.

Similarly, examination of the students from Chakdara Institute, Infoworld Batkhela, Malakand Institute Batkhela, Ghandara Institute of Technology Chakadara, and GTVC Chakadara would be conducted at GTVC Chakadara.

Likewise, the students of GCT Mingora, GPI Buner and Malakand Institute of Technology Dargai would take their examination at GCT Mingora, Govt Degree College Swari and Malakand Institute of Technology Dargai, respectively.
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Punjab schools summer vacations extended

Summer vacations extended in Punjab schools
Lahore, Aug 15: The Punjab government has extended the summer vacations limit till August 30, and the educational institutions across the province now will reopen on Aug 31.

The announcement was made by Provincial Minister for Local Government and Community Development Sardar Dost Muhammad Khosa at a Press conference here Friday. Secretary Higher Education and Secretary Schools were also present on this occasion.

It may be mentioned that as per the announcement made by the Punjab government the educational institutions were scheduled to reopen on August 15 (today), but the government had extended the limit, keeping in view the scorching summer heat and the ongoing electricity crisis in the province.

The Minister further said that the government had also requested private schools to follow the decision and open their institutes on August 31, 2009.

When asked that why the Education Minister was not there to announce the same extension, Khosa replied that as the Chief Minister Punjab had directed all the ministers to attend flag-hoisting ceremonies at various districts on the eve of the Independence Day of Pakistan, therefore Education Minister Mian Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman could not make this announcement.

To another question regarding local government system, Khosa said that certain politicians wanted to politicise the issue as they had negative approach towards this issue.

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Preston University singing competition

Preston University singing competition

Preston University holds singing competition
Islamabad, Aug 15: The students enthralled the audience with their melodious songs in the Inter-university Singing Competition 2009 organised by the Preston University here.

The jam-packed hall of the university echoed with clapping and hooting by youngsters, who kept on applauding the amateur singers from different universities of the twin cities. The audience remained excited throughout the event.

There were three competitions held on the same day, namely the singing competition, dumb charade and a marketing competition titled 'Sell It'. The participating universities included the host university, National University of Modern Languages (Numl), Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi (AAUR), SKANS, Bahria University, Comsats and International Islamic University, Islamabad (IIUI).

The participants of the singing competition enthralled the audience with their excellent voice quality and complete grasp over the art of singing that was no less than that of a professional singer. A few of them such as Sahiba of AAUR, Iffat Shaheen of Preston University, Syed Bilal of Bahria University and Adnan Ahmed of Numl gave such a powerful performance that the audience at once accompanied them in singing.

Iffat Shaheen sung the beautiful ghazal of Faraz 'Mujh say pehli si mohabbat' without the help of any musical instrument so tremendously that she received a standing ovation from the audience.

The penal of judges for the singing competition included Nazia Hameed, Nauman Khalid and Kaleem A Barlas, who, in their remarks, thoroughly appreciated the participants, saying that they are the real future of the country. Ashir of Iqra University got the top honour in the singing competition while Iffat Shaheen of Preston University and Adnan Ahmed of Numl bagged the second and third positions respectively.

The dumb charade competition was unique and interesting, where one of the team partners was given some phrase or word and he had to act upon it only with actions and no words while his/her partners had to guess the right phrase or word. Preston University Kohat Campus was the only participating team in the competition; hence they were prized without any contest.

Later, the competition 'Sell It' was held to gauge the marketing skills of the students who were given some topics only a few minutes before the act and they had to come up with an advertisement of 45 seconds duration on their assigned topic. Preston University Islamabad Campus got the first prize in this competition while IIUI came second and SKANS got the third position.

Preston University Chancellor Dr Abdul Basit while addressing on the occasion said the varsity ever tries to explore the talent of its students in different creative fields and equally focuses on co-curricular activities. "We have tried to create a balance between the curricular and extra-curricular activities, which is a must for building the balanced personalities of the youth," he said.

Myra Imran adds: To acknowledge the role of media in the promotion of education in the country, Preston University arranged a dinner for media organisations as part of their ongoing activities to mark the institution's Silver Jubilee celebrations.

Representatives of print and electronic media organisations and eminent journalists attended the event. Parliamentary Secretary for Information & Broadcasting Azeem Doltana, the chief guest on the occasion, distributed shields among the media representatives.

Speaking on the occasion, Chancellor Preston University Dr Abdul Basit thanked the media for its continuous support and encouragement. "In the past 25 years, constant acknowledgment from media at every step forward was the major motivating force for the staff and students of Preston University," he said.

The chancellor appreciated the media for bringing a change in the public mindset through its extensive coverage of social issues, adding that it has played an important role in the development of higher education in the private sector.

"This dinner is aimed at acknowledging the cooperation the media organisations extended during this long journey of developing a small institute into an 'A' grade university." He said the journey is not yet over, as the university is committed to continue providing the highest quality education to the country's youth. "It is our mission to develop trained and educated human resource that can contribute in the development of the country."

Preston University is celebrating 25 years of its dedicated services to the country. Starting with only five students in the year 1984, the university today has a large network of campuses in the country with the total enrolment exceeding 8,000 students. The news

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I-Day celebrated in FJWU
Rawalpindi: As per tradition, the Independence Day was celebrated whole-heartedly and enthusiastically at Fatima Jinnah Women University (FJWU), Rawalpindi, on Friday.

The Independence Day ceremony was held at 10:00am. Vice-chancellor of Fatima Jinnah Women University, Prof Dr Saeeda Asadullah Khan hoisted the national flag.

The event formally started with the recitation from the holy Quran by Aaliya Jawad, lecturer Department of Education, and culminated with special prayers for the prosperity and solidarity of the country.

The vice-chancellor in her address said that August 14 is the day of reviving the promise and commitment to make the country prosperous.

She said that our forefathers had made huge sacrifices to get an independent homeland and now they had to use their fullest capacity to make the country achieve the new destinations of success.

She advised the students to keenly follow unity, faith and discipline, principles of the great leader of the nation, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

A prize distribution ceremony was also held to award prizes to the winners of radio drama competitions, organised earlier in connection with the Independence Day celebrations.

Students from various departments participated in the competition with fullest zeal and fervor. The vice-chancellor, Professor Dr Saeeda Asadullah Khan awarded the prizes to the winning students and applauded their efforts.

The first prize in the radio drama competition went to the Department of Islamic Studies while the second and third prizes were awarded to the Department of Defence and Diplomatic Studies and Department of Bachelors of Computer Arts respectively.

Certificates of appreciation were also awarded to the English and Behavioural Sciences Departments acknowledging the volunteer participation of their students in the campus radio VOW (Fm 96.6 Mhz).

The university premises, decorated with beautiful lights, was giving a festive look. Students from different departments of the university paid tribute to the holy land in the form of national songs while the Faculty and Staff members were served with sweets and breakfast.

Later in the day, the third anniversary of the FJWU Campus Radio was also celebrated. Radio VOW (96.6) arranged a live transmission based on Independence Day special programnes from 8:00am to 4:00pm to commemorate the auspicious day of National Independence.

Thirty, special participation certificates were distributed among the students of different departments who have been participating in Radio VOW's programmes on Voluntary basis throughout the year. The nation

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Function at CDA school
Islamabad: The CDA Model School organised a simple but impressive event to celebrate 63rd Independence Day of Pakistan here on Friday.

The school was decorated tastefully to make the function more colourful, attended by school staff and students. Principal of the school Mrs. Shahwar Ajmal opened the ceremony with the hoisting of national flag, which was followed by national anthem.

The students of the institution presented tableaus and stage shows depicting patriotism and love with their motherland. Speaking on the occasion, the principal advised the students to work hard in their student life so that they could become useful citizens to play their role in progress and prosperity of the country. She also highlighted the importance of faith, unity and discipline as stated by Father of the Nation, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. The news

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On-the-spot mural painting competition: Students paint Pakistan Movement leaders at NAG
Islamabad: Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) on Friday arranged 'On the Spot Mural Painting Competition' titled 'Pakistan Day Celebrations' among schoolchildren at the National Art Gallery (NAG) to highlight the Pakistan Movement and sacrifices rendered by the people at that time for the independence of the country.

In the competition, students depicted Quaid's life, struggle and sacrifices for the independence of Pakistan. The participants tried to educate the youth about their roles and responsibilities in nation building. Some students used pieces of poetry and Quaid's sayings to make their art more effective.

Some 100 youngsters took part in the competition. They painted photographs of Quaid-e-Azam, Allama Iqbal, their mausoleums, historical buildings, ancient mosques and national flag.

PNCA under 'Freedon Fest 2009' also held a string of other cultural activities including national and folk songs and dances and regional dances of four provinces and Northern Areas in connection with Independence Day celebrations.

Later, a number of artists from different provinces presented a potpourri of folk and national songs and regional dances to highlight patriotism and unity.

Songs: Singers Sara Raza Khan, Javed Niazi, Babar Niazi, Manzoor Malangi, Deeba Sehar, Raza Allan Faqir, Bashir Baloch, Waghma and Ghazala also performed on this occasion. They sung popular folk, national and patriotic songs and received great applause from the audience.

Dances: Artists from NPAG Islamabad, Bhit Shah Group from Sindh and performers from Northern Areas also enthralled jam-packed auditorium with their regional dances in traditional attire. They gave beautiful performances expressing their feelings for their motherland on this auspicious occasion of Independence Day.

Children in the auditorium, who were carrying Pakistani flags, were swirling and swaying to the tune of folk music.

PNCA Director General Tauqir Nasir said such events were aimed at promoting the peaceful culture and festivals of Pakistan. He said by celebrating the Independence Day in a befitting manner they could send a message that Pakistanis were a peaceful nation.

He appreciated the enthusiastic participation of the schoolchildren and artists from different provinces in the Independence Day celebrations.

Nasir said Pakistanis were a brave nation and creation of Pakistan was a miracle that was a result of their bravery.

A prize distribution ceremony was held at the end of the event in which different schools were given PNCA shields and certificates for their participation in the painting exhibition. Daily times

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Intermediate pre-medical exams result 2009

Inter pre-medical results: 114 colleges show dismal performance this year
Karachi, Aug 15: The pass percentage of as many as 114 colleges, including 69 government colleges, of the city in the Intermediate science (pre-medical) annual examinations-2009 remained below 30 per cent. The performance of 43 colleges - 29 government-run and 14 private - appeared to be so abysmal that their pass percentage was between 10 and zero.

A cursory look at the statistics of the results shows that not a single student of a large number of government and private colleges and higher secondary schools could get through the examination in A1 or A grade.

More than 15,500 candidates belonging to 192 (123 government-run and 69 private) colleges appeared in the examination conducted by the Board of Intermediate Education Karachi (BIEK). Around 12,650 of the candidates were female and 3,319 male candidates.

Attributing the dismal performance to a shortage of teachers and overcrowding in the colleges' classrooms, officials of the provincial education department and senior professors maintained that one should not expect better performance from government colleges as long as these issues remained unresolved.

When the city's regional director (colleges), Prof Ms Munawwar Shafiq, was asked to comment, she said there were several factors behind the poor performance of government colleges but the major one was a shortage of teachers.

She was, however, reluctant to recount other factors.

President of the Sindh Professors and Lecturers Association, Karachi chapter, Prof Ather Hussain Mirza mentioned a few which included overcrowding of classrooms, insufficient funds for undertaking experiments in laboratories and a decreasing number of academic days.

Giving a rough estimate, he said there was a shortage of around 1,300 to 1,400 teachers in government colleges of the city. Besides, he added, the existing SNE (sanctioned new establishment) of various colleges was approved long ago when the number of students per class used to be quite less than the current average of 120. "Although it is mandatory under the board's calendar that the ratio of students in a class should not be above 1:80, the condition is often overlooked as 120 students are being admitted to first-year classes in the city's government colleges for the last two years," he pointed out.

Prof Mirza observed that owing to the shortage of teachers neither teachers nor students could manage to complete the syllabus in an academic year.

In reply to a question, he said there was a shortage of English, Urdu, Physics and Chemistry teachers, besides those for different commerce subjects.

Describing the government colleges' laboratory funds as insufficient for experiments, he said that since the funds were released by the education department in two instalments (in June and December each year) the amount released in June often got lapsed, for colleges remained unable to invite tenders for chemicals and lab equipment by the end of the financial year.

Endorsing Prof Mirza's views, Karachi SPLA secretary Prof Iftikhar Azmi said there was also an acute shortage of teachers for social sciences, civics and general history in government colleges. He remarked that performance of government college students could not improve until the issue was resolved once and for all.

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Punjab University BA/BSc suppl exam

Lahore: The Punjab University has extended the last date for submission of admission forms for BA/BSc Supplementary Examination, 2009. According to a press statement issued on Saturday, the admission forms can nowbe submitted till August 8 with single fee. It added no admission form would be received after the last date fixed for receipt of admission forms even with double fee under any circumstances. The BA/BSc Supplementary Examination, 2009, will commence from October 6. The News
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'Facebook, MySpace can lead children to suicide'

Lahore: Social networking websites such as Facebook and Myspace are leading teenagers to build "transient relationships" that leave them unable to cope with reality, Archbishop Vincent Nichols has told The Sunday Telegraph.

In an interview following the suicide of a 15-year-old schoolgirl after she was bullied on another networking site, Bebo, the Archbishop of Westminster said the Internet and mobile phones were "dehumanising" community life.

"I think there's a worry that an excessive use or an almost exclusive use of text and emails means that as a society we're losing some of the ability to build interpersonal communication that's necessary for living together and building a community," he said. "Facebook and MySpace might contribute towards communities, but I'm wary about it," he said. He warned that the sites were contributing to a trend for teenagers to put too much importance on the number of friends they have and that this could ultimately lead to suicide.

"It's an all or nothing syndrome that you have to have in an attempt to shore up an identity; a collection of friends about whom you can talk and even boast. But friendship is not a commodity, friendship is something that is hard work and enduring when it's right," he added.

Archbishop Nichols also pointed at moves to legalise assisted suicide as particularly worrying and called on the government to do more to support the traditional family. Daily times

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Scholarships plan for Fata, Baloch students faces hindrance

Islamabad: Ministry of Education's project titled 'Quality Educational Opportunities for Students of Balochistan & Fata' is facing hardships due to the lack of resources and required staff.

The main purpose of the project is to remove the backwardness and sense of deprivation of the people of Balochistan and Fata by giving their students opportunities at the national level to channelise their talent for the country's development.

The paper work on the project was started in 2006 and the project was approved by the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) on February 27, 2007 at a cost of Rs481 million to admit 1,650 students from Fata and Balochistan on scholarship basis. The ministry offered 100 scholarships for cadet colleges, which include 40 students from Fata and 60 from Balochistan, while 230 scholarships were for technical education, which include 92 students from Fata and 138 from Balochistan.

According to reliable sources in the ministry, the project is now facing severe difficulties due to the absence of a proper mechanism, resources and staff. "Project Management Units (PMUs) were established in Islamabad, Quetta and Peshawar in order to monitor the funds' spending and students' performances but the selection of staff is still under process for all PMUs except Balochistan," the source revealed adding that the approved PC-1 provides for 48 posts for all three PMUs, however, only two posts have been filled in the Islamabad PMU and the situation is no different in Peshawar. "Only the posts of project director (BPS-20) and deputy project director (BPS-19) have been filled so far and that too with no proper office for the purpose," he said.

The source further revealed that the scholarships are totally merit based and many of the students tried to take advantage of their domiciles despite receiving their education from top educational institutions of the country. "It is not fair to place a student of some high level institution in competition with students of the downtrodden areas of Balochistan," he said and stressed the need for 'Scholarship Management Committees' to look into selection criteria, funds availability and other related matters. "Only those students should be granted scholarships, who have received their education from that particular area." He further suggested that there should at least be a quota for settlers or non-settlers in Balochistan as in the case of Fata where only 20 per cent non-settler students could apply for the scholarships.

Highlighting the effects of inflation on the scholarships, the source said that now the boarding expenses of students besides their tuition fee have increased manifold during the last year and it is difficult for the government to provide 100 per cent scholarships to the students. "Previously, the scholarship cost of one student was Rs106,000 per annum that has increased up to Rs250,000 besides the boarding charges," he said.

He said last year, they faced immense difficulty in providing fee to the educational institutions in time due to the financial crunch and many of the institutions warned to expel students, but finally, the funds were released, which secured the future of the students.

Deputy Director PMU Islamabad Ejaz-ur-Rehman, said it is true that the project is facing hardships due to the non-availability of resources and staff, yet they were able to meet hundred per cent targets during the previous years. "We are successful in providing in-time scholarships to the students while striving hard to remove the bottlenecks of the project," he said. He said they are planning for an important meeting with Secretary Education Abdur Rauf Chaudhry to look into the project's bottlenecks and resolve them in the implementation. The News

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BISE Lahore Matric suppl from Sept 12

Matric suppl from Sept 12
Lahore: The supplementary examination for Secondary School Certificate (matriculation) 2009 will commence on September 12, 2009. According to the result gazette, issued by the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE), Lahore on Saturday, the last date of depositing the examination fee and submission of form is
August 18, 2009, with single fee, August 25, 2009, with double fee and August 31, 2009, with triple fee. BISE Lahore Controller of Exams Prof Manzurul Hassan Niazi said the recent announcement by Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif regarding elimination of examination fee was applicable only on regular students of public sector schools.
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BISE Bahawalpur announces result of matric annual examination 2009

Bahawalpur: Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) Bahawalpur has announced the result of matric annual examination 2009, here on Saturday.

According to the result notification, Muniba Nasir roll no. 71609 of Sir Syed Public Girls School Chishtian secured 1005 marks and stood first. Muhammad Suleman roll no. 120504 of Madars-Tul Binat High School Sadiqabad and Hassan Amin roll no. 120588 of Bismillah Higher Secondary School Sadiqabad secured 998 marks and both stood second.

Muhammad Hamad Ejaz roll no. 74995 of Sir Syed Public School Chishtian and Tabinda Rashid roll no. 71118 of Fauji Foundation Model Girls School Bawalnagar secured 993 marks and both stood third.

Total 64,453 candidates appeared in the examination and 38,380 candidates passed the examination. Pass percentage comes to 59.55 percent.

Provincial Minister for Special Education Malik Muhammad Iqbal Channar was the chief guest on this occasion. App

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Catholic schools and colleges to remain closed for three days

Karachi: All schools and colleges which are part of the Catholic Board of Education will remain closed for three days, from Monday (today) to Wednesday. This was announced by Catholic Board of Education President Archbishop Evarist Pinto, while strongly condemning the barbaric atrocities on Christians in Gojra and surrounding areas.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Minorities Forum for Human Rights (PMFHR) has announced that it will not observe International Minority Day, which falls on August 11. Moreover, on Independence Day (August 14), they will tie black armbands and stay away from all activity associated with the day, All-Pakistan Minority Alliance Sindh Secretary general (PMFHR coordinator and former Sindh Assembly member) Michael Javed said on Sunday.

On behalf of the minority communities, he appealed to President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, and the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Muhammad Iftikhar Chaudhry, to take stern action against the people involved in this incident.

Javed was briefing the local media at the Karachi Press Club regarding the Gojra violence. Other members and representatives of religious minorities were present to express their solidarity with the Christians.

He lamented that none of the accused had been arrested yet, nor had a single MNA, MPA, civil society member or human rights group raised a voice against this incident. "The miscreants used dangerous chemicals possessed by the military and extremists only. They killed people and animals with it and the police failed to arrest anyone," he added.

He further said that it need to be investigated as to who provided them the deadly chemicals which ignited immediately, burning people and turning houses into ashes. Houses, cattle farms as well as water suctions pumps were turned into ashes and no serious efforts were made to save human lives or property. The mobs also looted valuables from homes, he added.

As many as seven people of a family were burnt alive and many injured by the assailants who belonged to nearby villages, Javed said, adding that the mob did not bother to investigate the matter and even attacked people at a wedding ceremony.

According to the PMFHR, 45 people initially attacked the Christian community and called others to help them. "The attackers accused the local Christians of having desecrated the Holy Quran, which was not true at all. We respect the Holy Quran in the same manner as we revere our Holy Books," Javed told journalists.

This was the third incident of its kind within a month in Punjab and unfortunately, no one has been arrested and produced in the courts yet, he said, adding that inaction on the part of the police and the local administration in the past had compounded the problem because certain elements thought that they could get away with such act.

Catholic Association General Secretary Sardar Iqbal also condemned the brutal act of killing six Christians living in Gojra and setting ablaze more than 50 houses in the Christian Colony.

"We salute our Prime Minister, the President of Pakistan who called on the Chief Minister of Punjab to take immediate action to protect the Christian colony at Gojra and bring the culprit to justice," he said.

Iqbal made a firm appeal to all Christians to remain peaceful and united, and hope that the government of Pakistan will protect Christian colonies scattered all over Pakistan.

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BSEK announces dates for enrolment forms

Karachi: The Board of Secondary Education Karachi (BSEK) has announced on Sunday that the enrolment forms of Class IX, annual examination–2010 for Science and General Group (Regular) and registration forms of SSC Part I, Private Candidates would be accepted from August 10 to October 17, 2009.

Secretary, BSEK, Hoor



Mazhar said that candidates would enrol with the board and submit their forms without late fee from August 10 to September 12 at the NBP, or HBL or Askari Commercial Bank (Board Office Booths).

However, late fee Rs100 would be charged from Sep 14 to Sep 30, 2009 and late fee Rs200 would be collected from Oct 1 to Oct 17, she added.

The enrolment forms may also be obtained from General Store of the Board against payment of cost of forms required through pay order, in favour of Secretary, BSEK, she added.

According to her, fee statement and attested photo copy of recognition, renewal letter, certificate valid upto 2009-2010 could be deposited in accounts section of the Board (Room No 4) along with required fee in the form of 'Pay Order' in favour of the Secretary, BSEK.

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Class X new textbook of mathematics in 2010

BSEK sets rules for exams
Karachi, Aug 03: The academic committee of the Board of Secondary Education Karachi (BSEK) has announced that the new textbook of mathematics volume-I and II for Class X (science group) will be applicable in the 2010 academic

year and the papers will be prepared from both the volumes.

The decision was taken at a meeting held under the chairmanship of the board's chairman, Brig E. M. Shafiullah Qureshi on Friday.

It was also decided that the old physics (theory) book of Class X containing 19 lessons would be used for 2010 examination as was done in the 2009 examination. Ppi

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Psychologists advise parents to allay kids

Psychologists advise parents to allay kids' fears and communicate with them attentively
Islamabad, Aug 03: All public and private schools are re-opening putting an end to long summer vacations but majority of kids are not warm to the idea of going back to school for many reasons. Some feel difficulty getting up early in the morning, dislike travelling in school van, dread tests, homework and assignments while for others class is a bully.

It all now depends on the parents to allay fears of their kids telling them that the end of summer means going back to school. Though it is often a welcome change for many parents to send their kids school after a long summer, some are a little sad at the thought of not having their kids with them in mornings.

Ayesah Rahim Ghazi, a Grade II student said that she was overy joyed going back to school, whih she had missed during vacations. "I felt bored as I missed all my classmates, teachers and enviroenment of school," she said.

Hashim Raza, a Grade III student, said it was hard for him to go to school as he had developed a habit of getting up late during vacations. "I want to go to school after August 14. I sleep late so I get up late too. I am trying to alter my sleeping schedule," he said.

"I am quite nervous because of school atmosphere; teachers are rude to me and they beat me up quite often. I am not willing to go back to school," said Waqar Hassan, a Grade II student.

"If your child is reluctant to go to school, discuss with him/her various school activities such as exciting school trips, swimming, painting, music lessons, funfairs, arts and craft classes etc. Remind your child of all old friends," Dr Sarkar, a psychologist at PIMS, said.

She said parents would have to communicate with their kids attentively. "If your child is unusually tearful and tense, talk to him gently and try to discover root of the problem. If he is afraid of anything of if he lags behind in school lessons, take steps to ensure his safety and dignity. Make sure all his homework is done. Talk to teachers, school principal and van driver if they can be of any help," she explained.

Dr Rizwan Taj, dean of Psychology Department at PIMS, advised parents to get their kids to wake up early at least two weeks before the end of vacations. He said some children took more time to adapt to routine than others. "In a week or two, all of their fears and reluctance will be gone and they'll be comfortable and happy in school," he said.

Sumaira Kanwal, a schoolteacher, said it was responsibility of parents to get their children involved in study. "Shifting from vacations to school routine is less troublsome for those kids who have been kept busy in studies during vavations," she said. Daily Times

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All government, private schools opened in Sindh

Schools open
Karachi, Aug 03: All government and private schools had opened after the summer vacation on Saturday, the Sindh education secretary has said.

The secretary, Rizwan Memon said those schools which observed a two-day weekly holiday - Saturday and Sunday - would open on Monday (today).

There was some confusion about whether parents should send their children to school on Monday as reports in a section of the media had stated that schools would be closed on Monday due to an extension in the summer vacations. Dawn

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Azad Jammu Kashmir SSC exam result 2009

Boys clinch top positions in AJK SSC exam result
Mirpur, Aug 03: Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Azad Jammu Kashmir announced result of annual Secondary Schools Certificate (SSC) examination with pass percentage of 54.31 here on Saturday.

Mehtab Ahmed son of Zaheer Ahmed (roll no 126359) of

Read Foundation School Charhoie (Kotli district) secured first position overall by securing 1011 out of a total of 1050 marks.

Similarly Muhammad Zulqarnain s/o Nawab Ali (Roll No 125253) of High School Rajdhani, Kotli, secured second position by obtaining 1001 marks and Ms. Anum Habib d/o Abdul Habib (Roll No 101560) of Pak Kashmir Institute of Computer Sciences, Mirpur secured third position by obtaining 995 marks. All these first three positions holding students in the entire Board belonged to the Science group.

A special ceremony was held in the offices complex of the AJK BISE to announce the results. AJK Minister for Education (Colleges) Sardar Muhammad Naeem Khan was the chief guest on this occasion.

Besides the Education minister, Chairman of the Board Prof Dr. Muhammad Sagheer Kiyani and Controller Examination (Schools) Raja Abdul Rehman and Secretary Prof. Raja Muhammad Ayaz announced the names of the successful students who secured top 20 positions in the examination.

Among the students securing first three positions in General Group Ms. Maryam Ali d/o Ali Asghar (Roll No 134496) of Girls High School Samlotha Mirpur, Ms. Zeenat Rafique d/o Muhammad Rafique (Roll No 134780) of Girls High School Mohra Kanyal, Mirpur and Ms. Mehwish Shabbir d/o Muhammad Shabbir (Roll No 134784) of Girls High School Mohra Kanyal, Mirpur secured first, second and third positions in the examination in entire board by bagging 944, 924 and 918 marks respectively.

The AJK Education minister, while speaking on the occasion said that the AJK government will launch a plan for ensuring quality education to meet contemporary and future challenges.

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BISE Lahore 2009 Matriculation result: 62 percent pass

Boys tie for top Matric honours
Lahore, Aug 03: Boys received the top three overall positions in the Lahore Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) 2009 Matriculation result, announced on Saturday.

The result was announced in a

ceremony organised by the Lahore Board and held in honour of the position-holders at Alhamra, The Mall. Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif was the chief guest.

Successful candidates: According to the result, 198,899 students appeared in the examinations and 123,291 students (62 percent) passed. Examinations Controller Professor Manzoorul Hassan Niazi announced the result.

The overall first position was a tie between Hafiz Muhammad of Government Central Model High School, Lower Mall Lahore and Ali Murtaza of LDA Model High School For Boys, Allama Iqbal Town Lahore (1,013 marks). The second overall position was awarded to Amna Tahir of Divisional Public School For Girls Model Town, Lahore (1,012 marks). The third overall position was a tie between Muhammad Bilal of Government High School, Kharianwala (Sheikhupura) and Farwa Pervaiz of Unique High School for Girls, Muslim Town Lahore (1,011 marks).

In the Science Group (boys), first position was awarded to Hafiz Muhammad and Ali Murtaza. Muhammad Bilal was second in the group and was awarded overall third position. Muhammad Naveed Alam of Government High School Chauburji Gardens Lahore was third (1,008 marks). In the Science Group (girls), Amna Athar received the first position and the overall second position. Farwa Pervaiz was awarded the second position and was third overall.

Anam Manzoor of Divisional Public School for Girls, Model Town was third (1,009 marks).

In the Humanities Group (boys), first position was a tie between Hafiz Muhammad Aqeel of the Islamic Public High School for Boys, Green Town Lahore and Muhammad Abu Bakar Ajeeb of Kasur Model High School for Boys (921 marks). Muhammad Naveed Asif of Government High School, Neharwala received the second position (919 marks). Iqbal Shahab, a private candidate, was third (906 marks). In the Humanities Group (girls), Qudsia Shahid of Farooqi Girls High School, Ravi Road Lahore was first (970 marks) and Faiza Irfan was second (960 marks). Atiqa Sajid received the third position (959 marks).

Prizes: Lahore Board Chairman Dr Anwar Kashmiri announced cash prizes and medals for the students. He said the first overall position-holder would receive Rs 20,000, a gold medal and a Pentium-4 computer, the second overall position-holder would receive a silver medal, Rs 15,000 and a Pentium-4 computer and the third overall position-holder would receive Rs 10,000, a bronze medal and a Pentium-4 computer.

The position-holders of the groups would also receive Rs 20,000, Rs 15,000 and Rs 10,000 respectively.

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Rawalpindi Board SSC annual examination result 2009

RBISE SSC annual examination 2009 : Boys outshine girls by securing top three positions
Rawalpindi, Aug 03: Boys clinched overall top three positions in Secondary School Certificate (SSC) Annual examination 2009 of Rawalpindi Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (RBISE) on Saturday.

RBISE Chairman Abdul Hafeez announced the SSC exam results here at Divisional Public School Shamsabad. Adviser to Punjab Chief Minister Saeed Mehdi was the chief guest on this occasion.

Muhammad Arslan Khan (Roll No 140416) of Radiant Secondary School for Boys Iqbal Town, Rawalpindi got the overall first position in the division by securing 1013 marks out of 1050 marks. Sajjad Hussain (Roll No 140417) and Syed Sanaullah Shah (Roll No 140418) of the same school secured overall second and third positions by getting 1010 and 1009 marks respectively. All these students were from Science Group.

A total of 106,349 candidates appeared in the exam under the new course while 10,207 under the old course. The pass percentage of new and old course students stood at 62 percent and 65 percent respectively.

Under the new course girls fared better than boys with a pass percentage of 68.85 percent, whereas boys pass percentage stood at 55.89 percent. Under the old course boys pass percentage stood at 68 percent against girls' 60 percent pass percentage.

Among Science Group girls, Shamsa Kanwal (Roll No. 127206) and Sana Ghaffar Bajwa (Roll No. 127207) of Asif Public Girls Higher Secondary School Al Noor Colony, Rawalpindi stood first by obtaining 1008 marks each, while Anam Pervez (Roll No. 124176) of Siddique Public School, Rawalpindi got second position by obtaining 997 marks and Munaza Bakht (Roll No. 083156) of Fauji Foundation Model Secondary School for Girls, Fateh Jang, Attock, remained third by obtaining 994 marks.

Among General Group boys, Muhammad Ijaz (Roll No. 172982) of Darul Aaloom Mohiul Islam Siddique, Tehsil Kallar Sayedan, District Rawalpindi and Jamal Mustafa (Roll No. 185771), a private candidate, shared the first position by securing 915 marks. Qaiser Nadeem (Roll No. 186251) of Barrack No 5/8, Central Jail, Adiala Rawalpindi got second position by obtaining 908 marks, while Muhammad Zia-ul-Karam (Roll No. 158957) of Darul Aaloom Muhammadia Rizvia, Pind Daden Khan stood third by obtaining 905 marks.

In General Group girls, Ayesha Inaam Qureshi (Roll No. 163509), a private candidate, stood first by obtaining 927 marks, Farrah Tufail (Roll No. 081627) of Government Girls High School Hazro, Attock got second position by getting 922 marks and Bushra Liaquat (Roll No. 175804), private candidate got third position by obtaining 920 marks.

Addressing on this occasion, Mehdi said the Punjab government was giving top priority to the education sector and encouraging students by giving them cash rewards, medals and some other facilities including scholarships. He said they had increased the education budget by 60 percent. He said the government was also encouraging private sector educational institutions.

He said the government was paying full attention to provide quality education to children of the poor people. He said to achieve this objective the Punjab chief minister (CM) had decided to establish Danish School System in all tehsils of Punjab for boys and girls.

He said the CM would soon lay foundation stone of the RBISE building, which would be completed at a cost of Rs 800 million.

Later, he awarded medals and cash prizes to the top position holders. Rs 25,000 cash, a computer and gold medal was awarded to the overall first position-holder, Rs 15,000 and silver medal to the second position-holder and Rs 10,000 cash and bronze medal to the 3rd position-holder.

Medals and shields were also awarded to girl and boy students who got position in their respective groups.

RBISE Secretary Humayun Iqbal, Controller Examinations, MNA Malik Ibrar, MPA Raja Hanif Advocate, heads of educational institutions and a large number of parents were also present on this occasion. Daily Times

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