Category: Education

As the new academic year nears, students attending government schools in Sindh are facing unavailability of essential course materials. This has left millions from Karachi to Kashmore without the necessary free textbooks provided by the government.

Chairman of the Sindh Textbook Board Agha Sohail Pathan disclosed to Geo News that the board had allocated a substantial budget of Rs. 41.30 billion for textbooks. This allocation was intended to secure 2.25 billion sets of books, but regrettably, only 3 million have been successfully acquired.

He blamed this shortage on several factors, citing the escalating value of the dollar, the previous administration of the Sindh Textbook Board, and the taluka education officers.

The chairman emphasized that a potential solution lies in an emergency loan from the government. He suggested that, with immediate financial support, the deficit could be addressed within a span of 15 to 20 days through expedited tender procedures. The fate of countless students now hangs in the balance until the government provides them with textbooks.

Source: Pro Pakistani

The Indonesian Embassy in Islamabad hosted an event on Friday to celebrate Pakistani students who have won scholarships to study in Indonesia.

The scholarships, which are part of the Dharmasiswa cultural exchange program, cover tuition, accommodation, and living expenses.

In his speech at the event, Indonesian Ambassador, Adam Tugio, congratulated the students and said that Pakistan has the most students receiving these prestigious scholarships.

He said that the increasing number of Pakistani students in Indonesia shows the strong friendship and academic ties between the two nations.

Tugio also mentioned how the Dharmasiswa program helps students truly understand Indonesia’s rich culture. “Once you finish your studies,” he said, “you’ll be like cultural ambassadors, strengthening the bond between our two countries.”

The event also featured speeches from previous scholarship winners, who shared their experiences of living and studying in Indonesia.

For those interested in applying for the Dharmasiswa scholarship, more information is available on the Indonesian Embassy’s website and social media channels.

Source: Pro Pakistani

The Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training (MFEPT) has taken proactive measures to address the concerns of daily wage teachers. Minister Madad Ali Sindhi engaged with a delegation of educators in a meeting attended by key officials.

Minister Sindhi listened to the grievances of the daily wage teachers. He assured them of his commitment to finding viable solutions. The minister announced the establishment of a specialized committee dedicated to tackling the challenges faced by these educators.

The delegation of daily wage teachers underscored their desire for the regularization of their services. The representatives from MFEPT, along with officials from the Federal Directorate of Education, provided Minister Sindhi with a briefing. They revealed that the teachers were hired without formal procedures, relying on immediate needs instead.

This issue came under legal scrutiny and culminated in a decision by the Islamabad High Court and the subsequent endorsement by the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Over 550 daily wage teachers with responsibilities akin to employees in higher pay scales were referred to the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) in 2020 for evaluation towards potential regularization.

Following court directives, FPSC conducted a test on 31 July 2021, which the teachers were required to undertake. Despite these clear instructions, some teachers abstained from the test without reasonable grounds, leading to legal complications.

In response, MFEPT engaged with the Law and Justice Division for guidance. Aligning with court mandates, the Federal Directorate of Education made the decision to end services of daily wage teachers who did not meet the test’s criteria or failed to appear.

Source: Pro Pakistani

A 10-year-old girl found murdered at home was “a bubbly girl” with a beautiful smile, her school has said.

Sara Sharif’s body was found at her family home in Woking, Surrey, early on 10 August, prompting a murder inquiry.

Jacquie Chambers, head of St Mary’s C of E primary school in Byfleet, said Sara would be “dearly missed”.

Three people who travelled to Pakistan before her body was found are believed to have gone to Islamabad and are wanted for questioning.

Ms Chambers said: “She was a bubbly, confident little girl who had the most beautiful smile. She was full of ideas and was very passionate about the things she believed in.”

‘Grieve and recover’

The head teacher said the pupil had been in Year 5 at the school, adding: “Sara will be dearly missed and, as a school community, we are all deeply affected by this tragedy.

“Our thoughts, prayers and sympathy are with those affected by this heart-breaking news.”

Ms Chambers said she could not make further comment due to the police inquiry, but said the school was “fully supporting partner agencies with their investigations”.

She added: “Our priority now is to support our school community as they grieve and recover.”

The three people who are wanted by the police are Sara’s father, Urfan Sharif, 41, his partner, Beinash Batool, 29, and his brother, Faisal Malik, 28.

BBC News has been told two police teams in Jhelum, north Punjab in Pakistan, are looking for Mr Sharif.

Surrey Police have said Mr Sharif, 41, made a 999 call from Pakistan shortly after landing in Islamabad with his partner, his brother and five children, aged between one and 13.

The call led officers to the house in Woking where they found the body of Sara who had sustained “multiple and extensive injuries”, likely to have been caused over a sustained period of time.

There is no formal extradition treaty between the UK and Pakistan.

Surrey County Council have confirmed that Sara was known to the authorities and a multi-agency review is under way.

Police have also been searching the family’s previous address in West Byfleet in Surrey.

Source: BBC

The Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE) has announced the result declaration date for the Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC) First Annual Examination 2023.

According to a circular issued by the FBISE, interim Federal Education Minister, Madad Ali Sindhi, will announce the result on 23 August at 10:30 AM PKT.

The federal board has directed all officers and officials to ensure their attendance on the occasion.

The board has also banned the parking of both official and private cars and motorcycles within the premises of the FBISE Headquarters.

The federal board has also directed all officers of Grades 18 and above to attend the result announcement ceremony.

Last month, the FBISE had announced the results for the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) First Annual Examination 2023.

Former Federal Education Minister, Rana Tanveer Hussain, announced the results on 18 July at 2 PM PKT.

Source: Pro Pakistani