Category: Education

The School Education Department (SED) and Higher Education Department (HED) in Punjab have extended the winter vacation for all public and private schools in the province. This development comes in compliance with the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) order to extend the holidays. The SED and HED, in continuation of their earlier notifications, have announced that the winter vacation will now last until January 9, 2024. This extension overrides the previous schedule that had set the winter holidays from December 18 to December 31. According to the revised schedule, all schools and colleges, both public and private, are mandated to reopen on Wednesday, January 10, 2024. The resumption of regular classes will mark the beginning of a full and normal school week for all students. While the vacation extension is a relief for students, it is essential to note that certain COVID-19 safety measures will persist. The SED notification emphasizes that the restrictions regarding the wearing of face masks within school premises shall remain intact. This precautionary measure aims to ensure the safety and well-being of students and staff. The Chief Executive Officers of District Education Authorities (DEAs) in the respective districts have been specifically directed to ensure strict compliance with these orders. The decision to extend the winter vacation aligns with the Lahore High Court’s recent ruling, reflecting the court’s consideration of the prevailing circumstances.

Source: Pro Pakistani

The University of Karachi (KU) has announced that it will be offering a new four-year BS degree program in the Department of Mass Communications.

According to the KU Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Khalid Mahmood Iraqi, the institute will be offering admissions in BS Digital Media Marketing for the academic year 2024.

The announcement regarding the degree was made at a ceremony held in the Sarwar Naseem Hall of the Department of Mass Communication. Dr Iraqi highlighted the importance of Digital Media Marketing, adding that it is an ideal course for young individuals.

Furthermore, he also spoke about the various degree programs the university has introduced in the last few years, including a BS in Poultry Science, a BS in Public Health, a BS in Human Nutrition and Dietetics, a BS in Medical Laboratory Technology, and a BS in Sports Business Management this year.

Due to the importance of BS Digital Media Marketing, the university has decided to permit graduates to enroll in BS DMM, similar to students who have completed their intermediate education.

Chairperson of the Department of Mass Communication Dr Asmat Ara stated that KU has become the first public sector university to offer this degree.

Other speakers, such as the President of Digital Marketing Association Pakistan Dr Asif Iqbal, and the Head of Digital Output Geo Pakistan Manzar Ilahi, also discussed the importance of digital media marketing during the ceremony.

Source: Pro Pakistani

Pakistan’s school for orphans ‘KORT’ has won the prestigious Zayed Sustainability Prize at COP28, Dubai.

The school is for children who became orphan during the 2005 earthquake.

Sumaiya Bibi a student of the school received the award on behalf of the school.

Zayed Sustainability Prize honours the legacy of UAE’s founding father Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al Nahyan by rewarding small and medium enterprises, non-profit organisations and educational institutions that are addressing climate related challenges.

Source: Radio Pakistan

The National Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) retake exam of Sindh has once again been hit by a controversy.

According to Ary News, the MDCAT retake exam was leaked on social media hours before the test began. However, as per the provincial caretaker health minister, Dr. Saad Khalid, reports about the paper leak are not accurate.

Furthermore, some candidates also reported problems with the test’s online portal. One of the students stated that despite getting confirmation of passing the test, she has been marked failed on the portal.

It should be recalled that the provincial government had decided to retake the exam after an investigation team confirmed that the previous paper had been leaked.

Provincial authorities had also announced strict action against everyone involved in the paper leak. Now, following reports of another paper leak, it remains to be seen if another inquiry is ordered into the matter or not.

Source: Pro Pakistani

Caretaker Minister for Education and Professional Training, Madad Ali Sindhi says education plays a vital role in progress of country.

Addressing an event in Islamabad today, he said digital revolution has changed learning methods.

He emphasized use of technology in teaching and learning.

Source: Radio Pakistan

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has launched 3rd phase of Allama Muhammad Iqbal Scholarships Programme for Afghan Nationals.

This was announced by Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training Madad Ali Sindhi while addressing the graduation ceremony for 281 Afghan students in Islamabad.

In the third phase, 4500 scholarships will be offered to Afghan students over a period of three years to study in top-ranked Pakistani universities.

Source: Radio Pakistan

Teachers from all over Pakistan, including Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan, will hold a demonstration in front of the Higher Education Commission’s (HEC) office in Islamabad tomorrow.

The protest is being organized by the All Public Universities BPS Teachers Association (APUBTA) against the delay in the issuance of a notification regarding the approval of their service structure and promotion policy.

Dr Manzoor Ahmad, media secretary of APUBTA, the sit-in will be held for an indefinite time. He added that local teachers of Rawalpindi and Islamabad will host teachers from other cities as well as arrangements have also been made in various hostels and hotels.

In a press release, the association said that their “sole demand is the issuance of notification regarding approval of service structure/promotion policy for all BPS teachers.” The press release added that the “protest and sit-in is being organized against the discriminatory and exploitative policies of the HEC.”

According to the basic pay scale (BPS) teachers, the absence of service structure due to HEC’s “criminal negligence” has denied their fundamental right to promotion. They added that despite the fact that HEC had to prepare the criteria for the promotion under section 10(q) of the HEC ordinance 2002, no progress has been made even after two decades.

“It has created serious issues related to promotion and seniority for over 50,000 BPS faculty members of public sector universities.”

APUBTA has already held several protests across the country in the last three years as it struggles to address the promotion-related problems of the varsity teachers. The BPS teachers have claimed that the HEC have made several written commitments to resolve their issues but to no avail.

An HEC official told a national daily that a committee of vice-chancellors had recently forwarded their recommendations to the universities for implementation. He added that HEC will “look into the genuine demand of university teachers, but there is no fault on our part.”

Source: Pro Pakistani

In a groundbreaking decision, the Sindh government has decided to start offering a diploma in digital marketing in the government colleges of the province.

According to details, the diploma will be launched in the 30 public sector colleges, including five in Karachi, four in Hyderabad, six in Mirpurkhas, four in Larkana, four in Sukkur, and five in Shaheed Benazirabad.

The provincial government had formed a five-member committee to determine the structure as well as assess the technical aspects and formulate the mechanism.

Earlier, the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission gave approval to the digital marketing module.

Secretary Colleges Sadaf Shaikh shared the details about the diploma with a local daily. According to Shaikh, initially, it would be a one-year diploma.

He added that students will be taught digital marketing in a two-hour-long class every day. Although, the diploma has been introduced for Computer Science students students from other departments are also welcome.

The Secretary Colleges hoped that the digital marketing course would open various employment opportunities for students when they get admission in universities.

On the other hand, the College Education Department launched an online system for selecting college principals. According to College Education Department Deputy Secretary, Rashid Ahmed Khoso, the initiative will revolutionize the process of selecting principals of government colleges in Sindh.

Source: Pro Pakistani