ISLAMABAD             -           Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mehmmod on Monday said that the government has implemented a uniform educational calendar binding all the educational boards to announce results on a same date.

He said this after the 15th inter-provincial education conference held here.

The minister said that all educational boards will be bound to announce matric and intermediate results by 15th of August every year.

He also said that with the help of Higher Education Commission (HEC) all universities have also been said to start admissions from September 15 every year.

The minister said that a new option of ‘Matric Tech’ for students at elementary level has also been introduced along with science and arts group.

He said, earlier, students at middle stage were given options of choosing science or arts groups, but now they will have the choice of opting Metric Tech to get technical education after matriculation.

The minister said that students opting metric tech will be provided technical and vocational training to facilitate them for getting employment after the matriculation.

He added that this year 200,000 students were provided technical training under the supervision of Federal Ministry of Education.

Shafqat Mehmood informed that a comprehensive educational program worth 450 million dollars is being introduced with the collaboration of World Bank to improve the educational standards at federal and provincial levels.

Informing about the uniform syllabus, the minister said that a draft of uniform curriculum will be sent to all provinces after its completion and all assemblies will pass it.

“We are trying that the 18th amendment is not be affected in implementing the uniform curriculum,” he said.

The inter-provincial educational conference attended by provincial education ministers also discussed issues of NCHD and BECS employees, however, it didn’t reach any conclusion.

The minister said that it is in the first time in the history of the country that a uniform curriculum is being formed which will be implemented in all education systems including religious seminaries.

He added that all provinces including Sindh are also on the same page with federal government on the matter of education.

He said the federal ministry has inaugurated the Directorate of Religious Education for regulation of religious seminaries in the country and established 16 offices in across the country including provinces and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

The minister said that the government and Tanzeem Itehad-ul-Madaris have agreed to register all seminaries with the ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training (FE&PT) and students enrolled there will appear in boar exams in next four years.

He said that the government is committed to helping seminaries by all means in resolving their problems including fulfilling of shortage of teachers.

The minister also said that the government will also assist seminaries in addressing visa problems of foreign students and in opening bank accounts.

He also said that in the first year registration of around 2000 to 3000 seminaries will be completed and the federal government will award  Rs 17000 honorarium to seminaries.