WB loan for universities

Islamabad:Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mehmood said a loan of Rs5.4 billion by the World Bank would be spent to help universities modernise the standards of faculty and teaching.

During a meeting here, the minister said the Higher Education Commission was going to establish and launch a testing service of the highest standards.

"Keeping in view the people's convenience, online attestation of certificates has been introduced by the Inter-Board Committee of Chairmen," he said. Shafqat Mehmood highlighted a recent agreement between the Ministry of Federal Education and seminaries and all possibilities for the registration of seminaries at the federal level.

He said eighth, 10th and 12th grade exams would be conducted through boards across the country, while ninth and 11th grade exams will be excluded from the exercise. The minister said to bring the uniformity in the academic calendar, the Inter-Provincial Education Ministers Conference had decided that all boards would announce the intermediate exam results before August 15.