Author: Arshad Yousafzai

The Chairman of All Sindh Private Schools and Colleges Association Haider Ali has demanded the Provincial Education Minister to resume educational activities at schools soon after the current lockdown.

Ali in his statement has said that the new academic year that was starting on August 2 should be commenced from August 9. Also, a new semester should be started from August 9 in universities across Sindh.

He said that the future of university students is in jeopardy due to the loss of two years consecutively. For the third year in a row, an unimaginable academic loss cannot be tolerated by the private education sector.

Mentioning the official statistics, Ali maintained that from 70 to 80 percent of the staffers have been vaccinated. But the future of more than 15 million students of Sindh is still at risk due to repeated closures of educational institutions. Therefore, classes and on-campus activities should be started in public and private schools with SPs and 50 percent attendance.

The schedule of ninth and tenth classes for practical examinations should be issued so that the remaining intermediate papers and practical examinations in Sindh could be completed on time. Also, the students would wait for their results to get admission to varsities. However, the closure of educational institutions and suspension of annual exams would further delay the announcement of results.

Ali pointed out that the number of out-of-school children in Sindh has increased from 4 million to 6 million. The reason behind the increased number of OOSC is the closure of schools during the Covid-19. At least 30 percent of children in schools have dropped out of school. Also, some of the low-fee private schools have closed operations for good because the owners of those schools could not tolerate the unexpected financial crisis. There is an urgent need to work on bringing OOSC back to schools.

The financial loss was huge, but the government provided no monetary assistance to the administrators of those schools. The federal and provincial governments should immediately announce a simple and workable loan scheme for private educational institutions.

The Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology on Tuesday announced the results of MA International Relations, English and Urdu Private Annual Examinations March 2021 held in Karachi, Islamabad and Rawlakot.

According to Fuuast Controller of Examination Ghias-ud-Din Ahmed, as many as 341 students were registered out for the annual exams of IR, of which 323 students participated and 202 students were declared successful while the overall result was 62.54%.

While 148 out of 161 students attempted the MA English examination, of them only 12 students were declared successful. The overall results were 8.11 percent. In English final year, 83 students were registered of which 81 students participated in the examination and 10 students were declared successful while the overall result was 12.35%.

Likewise, 58 students were registered for MA Urdu, of which 50 students participated in the examination and 26 students were declared successful. Overall result was 52 percent. A total 49 students were registered in the examination for MA Urdu last year, 46 students participated in the examination and 26 students were declared successful while the overall result was 56.52%.

The Sindh government criminalizes corporal punishment, mental torture, and abuse against the children and pupils under the Sindh Prohibition of Corporal Punishment Act 2016 at schools, workplaces, and religious seminaries.

On Monday, the School Education and Literacy Department has notified the rules of the Act banning all sorts of physical and mental violence against children and students. According to the rules, the educational institutes will make sure protection and safety of the children. They would also take all possible measures to protect and prevent a child from corporal and physical punishment or abuse.

“No child or students shall be harmed physically, mentally or emotionally, or abuse by any person employed in the institution, which may affect the mental or physical growth of a student or child”.

Child Protection Committees at Schools

According to the law, the educational institutions will be bound to constitute at least one or more Child Protection Committee to strictly implement the rules in true spirit. The committee would be inclusive of the head of the institute, representatives of the concerned departments regulating the educational institutions, parents or guardians of the child.

The committee will investigate all complaints about the allegations of violence against the children and students. Also, it would protect the affected children and will provide every possible emotional, psychological, physical and mental support needed by the children being subjected to corporal and physical punishment or abuse.

The committee will also identify requirements to keep a child safe in consultation with the District Coordination Committee. Along with maintaining a proper record, the committee will organize awareness sessions for children to provide them information about child rights and the prohibition of corporal punishment.

The procedure of complaint registration

The parents, children or any individual can be entitled to fill a form with the application for registering his complaint with the child protection committee. The committee will also adhere to consider anonymous complaints of corporal or physical punishment or abuse.

Likewise, the education department would maintain an online compliant procedure through its website for the ease of contact by the public at large and it would post all laws, rules, reports, instructions, and any other documents related to corporal punishment.

After the receipt of a complaint, the head of the committee will share the same application and form with other members of the committee. Thereafter they will start an investigation to decide the complaint within fifteen days. However, after recording its findings and decision on a complaint, the committee will refer the case to the concerned department to take necessary action accordingly.

If the committee has no solution or failed to find any relevant clause in the Sindh Prohibition of Corporal Punishment Act 2016, it would immediately inform the Police, Child Helpline 1121 or relevant Child Protection Officer of the Sindh Child Protection Authority for urgent action under the applicable laws.

Confidentiality of investigation

According to the notified rules, an inquiry of the corporal or physical punishment or abuse should be conducted in a manner protecting the confidentiality of the child and maintains the integrity of the procedure.

If any child, who has been subjected to corporal or physical punishment or abuse needs protection and safe accommodation, the Social Welfare Department and its Child Protection Units would make arrangements for that child or student.

Punishment for committing an offense

Any person who abets, attempts, incites, assists, or directly commits the act of violence against children or students would be punished according to sections 334 and 336 of the Pakistan Penal Code.

According to section 334 of the PPC, whoever by doing any act with the intention of causing hurt to any person shall be punished with qisas. And if the qisas is not executable, keeping in view the principles of equality, the offender would be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years”.

Similarly, section 336 of the PPC states; “Whoever causes hurt by corrosive substance shall be punished with imprisonment for life or imprisonment of either description which shall not be less than fourteen years and a minimum fine of one million rupees”.

On repeating the offense, the offender who has been punished once under the Act, should be liable to additional punishment and fine as determined by the court of competent jurisdiction. The fine recovered from the offenders should be realized by the parent or guardian who will be bound to utilize the fine amount for the rehabilitation of the victim child. However, for any dispute which arises with regards to the interpretation of rules, the orders of the concerned minister or advisor should be final.

“Four Pakistani students at the L.E.J. National Science Information Center of the International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences Karachi University participated in the major online exam of the 53rd International Chemistry Olympiads 2021 on July 28.
HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry has played a significant role in terms of providing training to students, organizing and hosting the event at the LEJ center. The International Chemistry Olympiads has already been kicked-off on July 25 in Tokyo, Japan, while it will continue until August 2, and the written test was the IChO’s major event that was held on July 28.

Prof Dr. Khalid M. Khan, Coordinator to National Chemistry Talent Contest (NCTC), in a statement, said on Thursday that the ongoing global pandemic had restricted the international event to online events only. The online exam of the ICho-2021 was started in the morning and continued in the late evening, he said.

The names of the students who participated in the written exam included Muhammad Ismail from Kips College, Lahore, Ayesha Junaid from Bahria College Karsaz, Karachi, Muhammad Yahya from Tameer-I-Nau College, Quetta, and Rameesha Khursheed from Fauji Foundation College for Girls, Rawalpindi. It is pertinent to mention here that Prof Dr. Khalid M. Khan, Prof. Dr. M. Raza Shah, Deputy Coordinator to NCTC, and other officials were also present on the occasion. Prof. Khan said, “The International Chemistry Olympiads is one of the world’s biggest and most significant competitions in chemistry with the participation of more than eighty countries.”

Talking about the training of young chemists, he said that these students were trained at HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry under the STEM Careers Program of HEC. He said, “These four successful students were also selected from nearly 1000 students through contests and examinations held at the national level. Organizers selected around 50 students from a pool of 1000 contestants through a rigorous examination; later on the same process picked up 11 students. And after holding more examinations, finally, four students were selected for 53rd International Chemistry Olympiad.”

The results of the ongoing Olympiad will be announced on August 2, 2021, he said

The Centre for Coastal and Deltaic Studies—Sindh University has been awarded the Marine Research Project by Petroleum Marine Development Committee.

In this regard, a memorandum of understanding was signed by the Pro-Vice Chancellor Sindh University Thatta Campus Dr Rafique Ahmed Memon, and the Director Center for Coastal and Deltaic Studies Dr Mukhtiar Mahar, MNA Sujawal Syed Ayaz Shah Sheerazi and Deputy Commissioner Sujawal Ismail Memon.

As per MOU signed by the both parties, the campus will establish a Marine Research Laboratory and Survey Unit at regional level and will conduct research on biodiversity population dynamics, pollution impact assessment and way forwards of commercial marine biodiversity existing in creeks in Sujawal district.

On the occasion, pro-vice chancellor Dr Rafique Memon said that he will ensure smooth establishment of the facility, adding that the research will be productive and one of its kind in the region to change its fate.

He said that getting assignments like that of a marine research project; it proved that the campus was doing a prolific job in the field of research and higher education.

MNA Ayaz Sheerazi said that the initiative will bear positive results for the peoples of the region. “This is really the thing we want. We want our people to lead a hassle free life”, he said.

Director CCDS Dr. Mukhtiar Ahmed Maher expressed hope for using qualified human resources for obtaining credible research findings and said that he along with his team will also conduct research on pollution impact assessment and way forwards of commercial marine biodiversity existing in creeks in the district.

Deputy Commissioner Ismail Memon assured the PVC of providing every kind of support in terms of logistics and hoped that the research will discover authentic findings that will prove useful for the people of Sujawal district.

Our objective is to make the University of Okara an environmentally sustainable campus through the plantation of more trees and preservation of the endangered flora and fauna of the region, said the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Dr Muhammad Zakria Zakar, while addressing a faculty meeting.

He told that the UO had more than 55 acres of lush green lawns and 200 species of plants and trees which add up to both the beauty as well as climate control.

He also encouraged the faculty and staff of the university to extensively participate in the Green and Clean Campaign of the Government of Pakistan. He appealed to the Botany and Environmental Sciences departments to establish a botanical garden for the research purposes of the students and ecological sustainability of the region.

The VC vowed to work for the initiation of certain renewable energy projects at the campus in order to minimize the reliance on hydel and coal energy. He also announced to start new disciplines including medical, engineering and agricultural sciences in near future.