Students of classes nine to 12 in Sindh will also be promoted, given 3pc extra marks.

Byline: Shazia Hasan

KARACHI -- Sindh Education and Labour Minister Saeed Ghani has said that after promoting children from classes one to eight they will also do the same for the students of classes nine, 10, 11 and 12. He was speaking at a follow-up press conference after the first one following the Sindh government's steering committee on education meeting of two days ago.

Flanked by Sindh Education Secretary Syed Khalid Haider Shah and Secretary for Colleges Baqir Naqvi at the Sindh Assembly auditorium on Thursday, the education minister said that the students of classes nine, 10, 11 and 12 would also be promoted without exams to the next level and their marks would be increased by three per cent under a formula system.

'It has been agreed in the National Curriculum Council meeting of the Federal Minister of Education Shafqat Mahmood and the ministers of education of other provinces that in the present circumstances, it is not possible to conduct examinations. However, to improve the position of the students and if they are also willing, exams can also be taken,' he said.

Saeed Ghani said that two days ago in the steering committee meeting it was said that they will promote students of classes one to eight but a sub-committee had to be formed to review the case of classes nine to 12. He said that the committee had submitted its report a day prior, which also proposed amendments in the law regarding promotion of students of these classes without examinations. Saeed Ghani said that in that regard it was agreed in the meeting chaired by the federal minister of education in the NCC on Thursday bringing together the education ministers of all the provinces through video link. 'The students will be promoted to the next classes without examinations and will be given three per cent extra marks. If one's marks in the ninth class is 60 per cent, then he or she will now be counted as 63 per cent in the matriculation result making him or her able to get admission to the 11th in the same proportion. Similarly, one's success rate in the 11th will be calculated by adding three per cent to it,' he said.

Minister says if students want to improve their positions, exams will also be held

Replying to a question, Mr Ghani said that the current situation was not normal and he...