5pc extra marks for compulsory subjects: govt

Islamabad: Federal education minister Shafqat Mahmood on Wednesday announced that the students of matriculation and intermediate classes would get five per cent extra marks for compulsory subjects in exams in addition to the electives. "The marks acquired by students in elective subjects will proportionately be given in compulsory subjects along with an addition of five per cent," the minister told a news briefing here after the Inter-Provincial Education Ministers’ Conference. The rule will be applied to exams in Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

The government had earlier decided that there won't exams for compulsory subjects and that the students would sit exams for elective subjects only.

Shafqat Mahmood said the huddle reviewed the recent examinations for elective subjects for grades 9 to 12. He said board exams would be held in all provinces on schedule and that Sindh would announce the exam schedule soon.

The minister said the staggered functioning of schools would continue with 50 per cent attendance countrywide except Sindh, where new lockdown restrictions had disrupted in-person learning and exams.

“The Sindh education minister has informed us that they will review the situation in the province before Aug 8 and share their new schedule soon,” he said. Shafqat Mahmood said the overall vaccination rate of the education sector staff stood at around 83 per cent but in higher education sector, it was dismally low.

"I have requested the relevant ministers in all provinces to ensure vaccination of all students and teachers. Similarly, transport drivers and conductors are also needed to be vaccinated by Aug 31,” he said. The next meeting of the education ministers will be held on Aug 25 to review the pandemic-related situation.

The minister also urged the schoolchildren not to fall for rumours on social media about government announcements and said the announcements made by the education ministry and provincial education departments should only be paid heed to. "We are taking decisions keeping in view the safety of our children,” he said.

All public and private schools in Punjab reopened on August 2 after their summer vacations while Sindh has closed all educational institutes due to the rise in positivity rate.