Steering body approves promotion of students to next grades

The Sindh School Education and Literacy Department’s steering committee, in its meeting chaired by education minister Saeed Ghani, on Tuesday approved recommendations of the sub-committee to promote students of IX to XII classes to the next classes without examinations.

The meeting also decided that the academic activities in educational institutions would be restarted as per the situation of the coronavirus emergency in the province. However, if private schools wanted to resume educational activities, they could only start online classes for which they were allowed to call teachers and non-teaching staff on campuses. But the schools would have to comply with the SOPs issued by the Sindh’s health department and the World Health Organisation (WHO), the meeting observed.

Also, another sub-committee has been formed on the request of the representatives of the private school association after they raised concerns over the promotion of children in classes I to VIII.

The committee has been tasked to compile and submit its proposals for a comprehensive implementation of all SOPs within a week before the reopening of educational institutions. According to a press statement issued by the Sindh Information Department, during the meeting the members of the steering committee were of the view that the students who failed in up to two exams will be given marks in view of the marks of their other subjects. However, students who failed in more than two exams will only get 33 per cent passing marks.

The students of Class X and Class XII have been told that they would get three per cent additional marks in accordance with the result of their last year’s exams. But those who would not be satisfied with their grades even after getting an additional three per cent marks, they would be given a chance to attempt exams for improvement.

However, it is not clear how the exams for improvement would be conducted given the coronavirus situation. The meeting also decided that parents should pay fees to the private schools so that the teachers and other staffers of these schools could get salaries on time.

On the occasion, the minister said: “We try our best to ensure that all the steps taken for education in the province are taken under the auspices of the steering committee so that the views of all stakeholders are included in it.”

He added: “We have taken steps to improve the quality of education in the province and work has also been started for the training of teachers. We have also launched a mobile application for online education for children, and more work is being done with Microsoft and others."