Pre-engineering students allowed to switch to medical with one additional subject.

Byline: Kashif Abbasi

ISLAMABAD -- In a major policy decision, the education ministry has decided to allow pre-engineering students to switch to pre-medical by taking biology as an additional subject.

Sources in the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training said the decision was made following complaints lodged by students on the Pakistan Citizen Portal.

They said that after receiving the complaints the ministry took up the matter with the concerned directorates and the National Curriculum Council (NCC).

With approval from the NCC, it was decided that pre-engineering students who have passed their FSc could switch over to pre-medical if they pass the additional subject of biology.

A notification, which was signed on Oct 31 and distributed among the stakeholders on Monday, stated: 'National scheme of studies at higher education secondary school certificate (HSSC) level has been designed as a package containing a number of subjects necessary to qualify for HSSC.'

Decision taken following complaints lodged by students on Pakistan Citizen Portal

Currently, students passing the pre-medical group are allowed to appear in additional subject of mathematics to opt for the engineering group but students passing the pre-engineering group are not allowed to appear in additional subject of biology to switch over to the medical group.

'Besides, students are encouraged to appear in A-level biology exam to get pre-medical equivalence certificate from the Inter-Board Committee of Chairmen (IBCC),' the notification said.

It added: 'In order to remove disparity and facilitate the students passing the pre-engineering group, the National Curriculum Council reviewed the existing rules/policy/scheme of study and allowed the students passing pre-engineering group to appear in additional subject of biology to switch over to the pre-medical group.

When contacted, Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE) Chairman Dr Ikram Ali Malik confirmed to Dawn that the...