Educations Hub: June 2013

Sunday, 30 June 2013

Shantaram: A book review by Gregory David

After reading a 900-something-paged book which is thrilling, philosophical, racy, romantic, giddy, heartbreakingly tragic, you would think one would be finally sated – having read something which is possibly about everything there is in the world. But when such a book still leaves the reader slightly delirious and wanting more, it makes you realise that this is no ordinary novel.

Shantaram is one of those rare books, which can make one rethink life from an entirely different perspective.

The Wish Maker: A book review by Ali Sethi

If the writing is honest it cannot be separated from the man who wrote it. —Tennessee Williams

Ali Sethi has shot to fame but in a modest way. His talent and public appearances are subdued and undramatic, a possible result of having ones parents being masters of juggling the spotlight. Having recently spoken at the Lahore Literature Festival at length over Manto and being generally very impressive as a reviver of classic Urdu poetry in the form of songs or ghazals, he has made a solid name

Dow University of Health Sciences faculty, students establish safe blood donors’ club

Karachi

The faculty members and students of the Dow University of Health Sciences have joined hands for the safe blood donors’ Club 25 to facilitate easy provision of disease-free, non-contaminated blood and its by-products for the people in need of blood transfusions.

DUHS Vice Chancellor Prof Masood Hameed Khan said that it was extremely important, as a single unit of donated blood could save up to three lives.

Prof Khan said blood collection from

Ceremony of Montessori Materials & Methodology workshop

Islamabad

The Roots National Institute of Teacher Training and Education (RNITTE) completed the seventh cycle of Montessori Materials and Methodology Workshop.

As many as 110 candidates from all over Pakistan participated in the course.

The workshop was designed for professional development of participants. The course integrated Dr. Maria Montessori Theory with effective practices.

The two-week workshop included all necessary topics, which

Reception held to recognise services of Dr. Sohail H. Naqvi

Islamabad

Vice chancellors, educationists and current and former members of governing body of Higher Education Commission (HEC) paid glowing tributes to the services of former executive director of HEC Dr. Sohail H. Naqvi who has been recently appointed as vice chancellor of Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Lahore.

They were speaking at a special reception organised to recognise Dr. Naqvi’s decade-long contribution and dedication towards the promotion

Exhibition on child labour to open

Islamabad

Media products created by the students of seven universities across the country on abusive child labour will be exhibited at an event to be organised by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) on Monday.

The ILO in collaboration with European Union under its project ‘Combating Abusive Child Labour (CACL) II’ launched a University Research Programme on ‘Worst Forms of Child Labour’ in December 2012 in collaboration with seven universities across

KWSB raided a factory producing ‘fake’ mineral water

Karachi

The Karachi Water & Sewerage Board (KWSB) raided a factory producing ‘fake’ mineral water in Khwadja Street Block-1, which is in front of NED University.

This factory was filling 50 litre and 19 litre bottles with tap water taken from the KWSB’s 48 inch main line that passed through its plot, said a statement of the water utility.

According to details, hundreds of fake mineral water companies were selling tap and boring water, which was

Pakistan in dire need of trained veterinary doctors

Karachi

Pakistan is in dire need of adequately trained veterinary doctors, said Pakistan Veterinary Medical Council President Dr Muhammad Arshad.

During a visit to the Baqai College of Veterinary Sciences, Dr Arshad said availability of well-trained professionals was needed for the protection of farm and domestic animals as well as those pertaining to varied categories against different infections.

He said: “Availability of qualified veterinary doctors

26 Private colleges not following rules

LAHORE

THE Young Doctors Association (YDA), Pakistan, has said that due to negligence of Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), 26 private medical and dental colleges have not created seats for postgraduate training in their respective teaching hospitals.

According to a press release issued here on Sunday, YDA Pakistan General Secretary Dr Salman Kazmi said that according to the rules of PMDC and CPSP, these colleges were bound to give paid training to their

Creative event at Punjab University

THE new generation television commercials and public service messages prepared by the students of Institute of Communication Studies, Punjab University, enthralled the audience at a creative event at the campus on Sunday.

According to a press release issued here Sunday, 26 students of BS Communication Studies screened their up to one minute duration advertisements for evaluation in the ICS conference room. Public service messages about energy conservation, water wastage, smoking,

Reforms hampered as teachers, other ex-cadre officers occupy administrative positions

PESHAWAR: Almost all the administrative positions in both higher and elementary education departments have been occupied by teachers and other ex-cadre officers thereby hampering reforms in the system and promotion of quality education.

Currently at least 20 positions of BS-17 and above in the Civil Secretariat are occupied by teachers, sources told The News. Considering the teachers not being good administrators, the Awami National Party-led previous government had decided to

International Labour Organisation visuals on child labour

ISLAMABAD - The International Labour Organisation (ILO) is organizing an event today at the Pak China Friendship Centre where the media products of the selected students of Mass Communication from seven national universities would be launched.The media products included research studies, video documentary and short films on various aspects of child labour. Interesting stage and song performances by school children would also be presented on the occasion.Lars-Gunnar Wigemark, the Ambassador of

Karachi University evening programme

KARACHI - Director Admission Committee Karachi University (KU) Prof Khalid Iraqi on Sunday announced the University will start its admission procedure to invite applications for admission to Master and Diploma Programmes in Evening Program for session 2013-14 from today (Monday).As per the announcement, made on Sunday, admission booklet with Application Forms can received and submitted during 5pm to 7pm at UBL, Silver Jubilee Gate Campus Branch against payment of Rs.800. The University of

Lahore High Court summer schedule

Thirty-two 32 judges of Lahore High Court will work during the first week of summer vacation commencing from today. Presently there are total 40 judges while the sanctioned strength is 60. According to a roster issued by the registrar, twenty judges will hold sittings at principal seat of the LHC, five at Rawalpindi Bench, four at Multan and three at Bahawalpur Bench. Eight division benches and 20 single benches have been notified for Lahore Principal Seat, two DBs and five single benches for

Montessori workshop concludes

ISLAMABAD: After successfully offering Montessori course for past six years, the Roots National Institute of Teacher Training and Education (RNITTE) has completed the seventh cycle of Montessori Materials and Methodology Workshop, 2013.

According to details, 110 candidates from all over Pakistan benefited from this course. The workshop was designed for the professional development of participating delegates. This course integrates Dr Maria Montessori’s theory with effective Montessori

Music is in the air, dare to express on display

KARACHI: Alliance Francaise De Karachi has arranged a solo painting exhibition ‘Music Painting in Cubism’ by Nazar Haidri, here at gallery of Alliance Francasise. On the occasion, 32 paintings of artist are on display.

The exhibition at Alliance Francaise mostly focuses on music instruments and people who are connected to music. In his paintings, he shows different musicians on different music instruments.

Haidri is a prominent painter of Pakistan who hails from Karachi, is one the

Carnevale di Venezia arrives in Karachi

KARACHI: The festival of worldwide recognition ‘Carnevale di Venezia’ has concluded in Karachi on Sunday. Italian Embassy brought it to the metropolis in collaboration with locals. Speaking on the occasion, Consul of Italy in Karachi Roberto Franceschinis told the audience about Venice and its historical development into a commercial centre for trade and exchange of ideas with the rest of the world. This was the first time that the event was celebrated in Pakistan, he said. Franceschinis

Empowerment of women stressed, artist Fariha Mohsin

KARACHI: Stressing the need for economic and social empowerment of women in the country, artist Fariha Mohsin said it was highly admirable that women were taking a stand for themselves and making achievements in every field. Speaking as chief guest at an art exhibition featuring works of women designers on the eve of the “TW9Y EXPO MOM” on Sunday she said every day was a day where the beauty and courage of women should be celebrated”, she opined, before inaugurating the exhibition.

Rotary Club awards lifetime achievement award

LAHORE: Rotary Club on Sunday awarded lifetime achievement award to Mrs Sartaj Wajid Ali while acknowledging her 53 years of service to the club, humanity and Pakistan.

The award was presented at district installation of Rotary Club on Sunday at a local hotel. The ceremony also included the medal and collar awarding ceremony for district governor, club presidents and other office bearers across Pakistan for year 2013-14.

New DG Rotary Club Haji Iftikhar Ahmad took charge of his position

New generation work on of TV commercials

LAHORE: New generation television commercials and public service announcements (PSA) prepared by the students of Institute of Communication Studies Punjab University enthralled audience in a creative and mesmerising event at the campus here on Sunday. Ranging from the public awareness messages on various social problems to commercial advertisement of products, as many as 26 students of BS Communication Studies screened up to a minute-long advertisements for evaluation in the ICS conference

Inspector General grants education remission of up to 2 years to 561 convicts

LAHORE: Inspector General of Prisons Punjab Mian Farooq Nazeer has granted formal and informal education remission from 15 days up to 2 years to 561 convicts for successfully passing various exams and memorising the Quran.

Senior Superintendent Central Jail Kotlakhpat Kamran Anjum said a total of 4,734 convicts undergoing different terms of sentences in various jails appeared in examinations from primary to masters level and informal education of which 2,977 qualified.

He said that on the

Economix Blog: Jeffrey Selingo on Curing the College Dropout Syndrome

Talking with authors about their work.Jeffrey Selingo, the former editor of The Chronicle of Higher Education and currently an editor at large there, is the author of a new book, “College (Un)Bound.” In it, he argues that the higher-education system is both vital to the American economy and “broken.” (An essay adapted from the book was published in the Education Life section of The Times last month.) My exchange with him, edited slightly, follows.You start your book by telling the story

New York to Evaluate Teachers With New System

The new system, announced after three hectic days of meetings, testimony and arbitration that involved the Bloomberg administration and the teachers’ union, finally brought New York City into compliance with state law — the last district in the state to do so. “It’s time. The students have waited too long,” said the commissioner, John B. King Jr., adding that the new plan would “help improve teaching and learning and give New York City students a much better opportunity to graduate

At School Papers, the Ink Is Drying Up

It, like newspapers everywhere, has struggled to adapt as print costs soared, and Facebook and Twitter became the media of choice among younger generations. The difference is that The Clinton News is a high school newspaper, written and read by the students of DeWitt Clinton High School. Now, as it marks its 100th year as one of New York City’s oldest student newspapers, The Clinton News stands as a testament to another ink-and-broadsheet legacy that is rapidly fading. Fewer than one in eight

Obama Warns of Doubling of Student Loan Rates

“That means that the average student with those loans will rack up an additional $1,000 in debt,” Mr. Obama said at an event in the White House Rose Garden. “That’s like a $1,000 tax hike.” Both Democrats and Republicans say they want to head off an increase in the interest rate for federally subsidized student loans to 6.8 percent as scheduled on July 1, but they disagree about how best to manage the rates’ trajectory. Senate Democrats plan to vote to extend the

Grandparents 'affect class system'

Grandparents fix "mobility mistakes", say researchers Children's eventual position in Britain's class system is closely linked to that of their grandparents, not just their parents, academics say.

And where parents have "dropped down" the socio-economic ladder, the so-called "grandparents effect" often pulls them back up, research suggests.
The passing on of wealth and property is thought to play a part.
Academics at Oxford and Durham universities looked at data on the lives of more

Advertising: Back-to-School Shopping Campaigns, Already?

Such front-running of seasonal milestones should no longer be surprising, given how marketers, retailers and media companies have been time-shifting the calendar to stimulate business related to holidays both official (Christmas) and unofficial (Super Bowl Sunday). Still, it may startle students when they see advertising asking them to buy clothing, school supplies and other merchandise for 2013-14 while they await final grades for 2012-13. The tenuous state of the economy is a major reason for

Labour 'to review planned schools'

Shadow education secretary Stephen Twigg says a Labour government would review the case for each of the 180 free schools scheduled to open in the year of the next election.

Decisions depended on how far advanced the plans were and whether they were in locations with school place shortages.
Mr Twigg told the BBC that he did not like free schools, but he was not intending to close any that were open.
Instead they would have to become part of the "local community of schools".
Mr Twigg told the

Human behaviour: is it all in the brain – or the mind?

'Ephemeral and mysterious': an image of a brain from the Human Connectome Project. Courtesy of VJ Wedeen and LL Wald, Martinos Center, Harvard University
You've seen the headlines: This is your brain on love. Or God. Or envy. Or happiness. And they're reliably accompanied by pictures of colour-drenched brains – scans capturing Buddhist monks meditating, addicts craving cocaine, and students choosing Coke over Pepsi. The media – and even some neuroscientists, it seems – love to

Filling India’s Huge Need for Vocational Training

The computer repair course was among 25 offerings at Gras Academy, a private institution with 58 skills training centers across India, including this one in Ghaziabad, a city on the outskirts of New Delhi. Gras is one of a burgeoning number of private academies providing hands-on job training in India, filling a gap between government vocational centers and four-year universities. These schools — which offer short, practical, nondegree programs — have been growing since the early 2000s.

Special Report: Education: North American, With a Difference

Stephen Weiss of the Schulich School of Business at York University in Toronto, who is preparing a case study about the decade-long Canadian-Chinese negotiations for the loan of the pandas, told YFile, his university’s online newsletter, that the negotiations “are ripe for study because they encompass a complex mix of diplomatic, legal, language and cross-cultural issues.” Students form teams, with three taking the parts of Canadian zoo executives and three representing the Chinese

Human extinction warning from Oxford

Prepare to meet your maker: Will humans become extinct at our own hand? What are the greatest global threats to humanity? Are we on the verge of our own unexpected extinction?

An international team of scientists, mathematicians and philosophers at Oxford University's Future of Humanity Institute is investigating the biggest dangers.
And they argue in a research paper, Existential Risk as a Global Priority, that international policymakers must pay serious attention to the reality of

The Texas Tribune: End of Cscope’s Lesson Plans Will Leave Texas Schools in a Bind

Beginning Aug. 31, the state’s curriculum support system, known as Cscope, will no longer be a source of lesson plans for the 875 school districts that rely on it. The system, developed by a coalition of 20 publicly financed education service centers, will revert to being a scheduling tool for educators. The move, part of an agreement with state lawmakers near the end of the most recent legislative session, was a victory for activists, including the conservative talk-radio host Glenn Beck,

Special Report Education: Asian Universities Offer Programs for Female Business Leaders

While the business schools at Harvard, Oxford, Stanford and others have established courses for female executives, such offerings are just starting to make their mark in Asia. Last month, the University of Hong Kong held the first part of a course meant to prepare Asian women for the boardroom: The Women’s Directorship Program. Offering a certificate upon completion, the program is sponsored in part by the executive search firm Harvey Nash and had the first of two three-day sessions in April.

College Slots for Poorer Students Still Limited

“It’s expensive,” said Donald E. Heller, dean of the College of Education at Michigan State University. “You have to go out and identify them, recruit them and get them to apply, and then it’s really expensive once they enroll because they need more financial aid.” The Supreme Court is expected to rule soon in a closely watched case over admissions at the University of Texas at Austin, and the court could outlaw any consideration of race. Opponents of affirmative action welcome that

Special Report: European M.B.A. Programs Gaining Popularity

As an American doing a full-time M.B.A. in Germany, however, he is part of a growing trend: An increasing number of non-European students are going to Europe for more international and more affordable M.B.A.’s. “I don’t really see geographical location as a huge determinant for what I’ll do once I graduate,” said Mr. Mahmood, who is from Middletown, New York. He chose the European School of Management and Technology in Berlin for its international network and hands-on curriculum.

Opinionator | Schooling: Schools Are Not Cool

Ellen van Engelen Schooling: Sara Mosle on students, teaching and schools, from within and beyond the classroom.

As temperatures rise, life will become more unpleasant for teachers and students in New York City schools, which remain open through June 26, and many of which do not have air-conditioning. In New York roughly a third of public school classrooms lack this basic amenity; in other major cities, especially in poorer districts, the figures are comparable or worse.
My first year as a

U.S. Student Killed in Egypt Protest Was Drawn to a Region in Upheaval

The American, Andrew Pochter, 21, a student at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, was exuberant when he departed for Egypt on May 28 for a three-month visit, said a friend, Zoe Lyon. The prospect of being in a country riven by political and religious conflict seemed to hold no fears for him, Ms. Lyon said. Like many other young people drawn to the world’s problems, she said, “he knew there was a possibility of trouble, but never thought that he could get caught up in it.” “I am not

Special Report: Foreign Students Seek Internships in China

“We are ambitious — we don’t want to relax,” said Ms. Lisek, describing students like her who seek internships abroad. She was in her second year at the university when she saw a work opportunity in China. “I had never been to Asia, and it was a new challenge,” said Ms. Lisek, who is 23 and is now attending a one-year exchange program at the University of Hong Kong. Students are keenly aware of the importance of work experience in a competitive job market. And China, whose economy

How to manage teacher stress

Parents, read how to cope when your fully adult child comes back home to live, on Guardian Students. Photograph: AlamyGuardian Teacher NetworkThe main event on the Guardian Teacher Network this week will be the launch of our new section on work-life balance.This is particularly timely given the latest survey looking into the extent and impact of stress on the profession, which found that 83% of teachers feel constantly tired because of their worries and 84% felt they would probably be a better

Trade Schools Offer Hope for Rural Migrants in China

Then a fellow rural migrant, who had also moved to Beijing, introduced him to BN Vocational School, China’s first tuition-free, nonprofit vocational secondary school. Now 17, Mr. Li is studying hotel management and hoping to enter an industry in which the starting salary is more than triple his old wage of about $100 a month. “I feel lucky to be at B.N.V.S.,” he said, as he prepared to apply for internships at the capital’s luxury hotels. “My future is much brighter, and I have more

Some Say Spelling of a Winning Word Wasn’t Kosher

Or so say mavens of Yiddish about the winning word, knaidel, in the widely televised Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday night. Knaidel is the matzo ball or dumpling that Jewish cooks put in chicken soup. But somebody may have farblondjet, or gone astray, the Yiddish experts say. The preferred spelling has historically been kneydl, according to transliterated Yiddish orthography decided upon by linguists at the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, the organization based in Manhattan

Teaching Tennis and Wimbledon – news and resources roundup

Tennis: Roger Federer reacts during his men's singles tennis match. He later lost putting an end his Wimbledon dream. Photograph: Toby Melville/REUTERSWith Federer and Nadal knocked out of the tournament and at least seven tennis pros injured, it's been an eventful Wimbledon so far. Here we've pulled together the best news stories, multimedia, teaching resources and websites needed to give you the advantage in the classroom this tennis season and beyond.Roger Federer's shock of all ages leaves

Mapping children's chances

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Naval Academy Shaken by Report of Rape and Inquiry

Three Navy football players are under investigation in the case, according to Naval Academy officials. No charges have been brought, but the academy has delayed the graduation of one of the three midshipmen and his commissioning in the Navy, according to academy officials and others briefed on the inquiry. The academy’s superintendent, Vice Adm. Michael H. Miller, is expected to receive a final report from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service in the next week or two and then decide

Blavatnik and Science Academy to Give 3 New Prizes

Len Blavatnik and the New York Academy of Sciences are scheduled to announce three $250,000 national prizes for young scientists on Monday, building on a smaller seven-year-old program in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. “We kind of battle-tested the regional awards and created an incredible pool of talent,” said Mr. Blavatnik, 55, a Ukrainian-born billionaire who immigrated to the United States in 1978. “We’re going to keep those awards, but making it nationwide and $250,000 will

Online education: Answer to the country’s educational woes Distance Education and Training Council (DETC),

“Learners learn better online than they do in a classroom, and if they take a hybrid course of online and hands-on, they learn even more, according to a report published by the United States Department of Education,” says Michael Lambert, now an executive director emeritus at the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC), a non-profit educational association in the US.

The findings were concluded based on “a meta study of 51 rigorous research studies — comparing online and

Language confusion: Urdu or English? our national confusion

The polity of our national confusion on most issues facing the country stems from the unresolved adoption of a single medium of instruction in schools. Living in a part of Lahore, which is the preserve of the Cantonment Board, this confusion seems even more bewildering and unsettling to one’s psyche.

Recently, the repainting of road signs was undertaken in the Cantonment area but the repainted road signs are now just in English. The names of the roads in Urdu have simply been left out. One

Double responsibility: Balancing act survey of private and public institutions that offer degrees in teacher education,

A survey of private and public institutions that offer degrees in teacher education, ie, BEd and MEd in Karachi and Lahore have brought forward interesting results. The first factor that is surprising is that these institutions are very few in number. The vast majority of the institutions in the government sector offer the Primary Teachers Course (PTC) and Certificate in Teaching (CT); none of the private sector institutions offer these certificates choosing to offer either only degree

main hoon shahid afridi Full movie trailer release topic is Pakistan Cricket Story

Main Hoon Shahid Afridi is an upcoming Pakistani movie which the audiences are desperately looking forward to watch, and it will be hitting the theaters finally this Eid. It has been in production for quite some time now and the production house had been tight lipped about revealing the details of the movie. The mystery surrounding the movie had intrigued the viewers. But now the wait is over as the audiences would finally get to see the theatrical promo of this movie which will be launched

Allama Iqbal Open University upgrades academic programmes

ISLAMABAD: The Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) is actively engaged in upgrading its academic programmes at all level as per criteria set by the Commonwealth of Learning (COL).

This was stated by AIOU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Nazir Ahmed Sangi while presiding over a workshop on `self-review verification process on quality education’. Renowned Sri Lankan educationist Prof Uma Coomaraswamy, who had been appointed by the COL as external verifier, was also present on the occasion. Senior

PCTN to be launched at National University of Science and Technology tomorrow

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Chapter of Talloires Network would be launched at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) tomorrow (Monday) for coaxing higher education institutions playing their indispensable role toward community development.

The chapter is all set to emerge as the regional hub of Talloires Network in South Asia. The network would be dedicated to promote community service, civic engagement and the service learning in higher education for the socio-economic

Malaysian education expo begins in metropolis

KARACHI: Malaysia hosts 93,000 foreign students in various higher study programmes that meet international standards, and the target is to reach a 100,000 foreign students soon. Malaysian Consul General Abu Bakar expressed these views while inaugurating the two-day ‘Tenth Study Malaysia Education Exhibition’, here on Saturday. The annual exhibition succeeded to draw huge crowds mainly high school students, accompanied by parents. Participants explored suitable career options in Malaysian

BISE-R to launch SMS system to facilitate candidates

RAWALPINDI: The Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education has decided to launch an SMS system to facilitate the students.

The roll number slips, registration numbers and date sheet will be sent to the candidates appearing in matric and intermediate examinations through SMSes by the board. This system will end the complaints of the candidates.

This system will be introduced from the next matric supplementary examination taking place in September. All preparations have been completed to

Creating opportunities for young artists in Pakistan

There are few opportunities for budding artists in Pakistan to display or sell their work to the public. The Attic Studio is an initiative that tries to help rectify this problem.

Attic Studio is a collaborative residency programme started by a handful of graduating students from the National College of Arts (NCA). It was started in 2011 and is holding its third exhibition at the Alhamra Art Gallery. The display opened on Thursday and will go on till July 4.

The idea behind the project

Saturday, 29 June 2013

Deadline Near With No Deal on Loan Rates for Students

Barring a last-minute breakthrough, 7.4 million university students will see rates on their federal Stafford loans jump to 6.8 percent from 3.4 percent on July 1. “I hope that people start looking at truly compromising and working on something that fixes it,” said Senator Joe Manchin III of West Virginia, whose conciliatory proposal was shot down Wednesday by fellow Democrats, including Majority Leader Harry Reid. “You’ve got rates going up to 6.8 percent. That’s unfathomable, and it

Paris Journal: Rite of Passage for French Students Receives Poor Grade

By the hundreds of thousands, they pack themselves into libraries, flood their bloodstreams with stimulants and spend weeks generally cramming for the baccalauréat, better known simply as the “bac,” the exhaustive finishing exam that has racked the nerves of France’s students since the time of Napoleon. The weeklong national test is the sole element considered in the awarding of high school diplomas, themselves known as bacs; without a passing score, university doors are closed and job

Updates to Drivers’ Education Reflect New Dangers on the Road

“Don’t hit that old lady crossing the street!” one student shouts sarcastically to a friend, as another snaps his gum with a loud pop, and the classroom erupts into giggles. But starting next month, a suburban Chicago high school will join others around the country in updating its drivers’ ed program with new simulators, featuring 3-D interactive technology that teaches teenagers far more modern dangers of driving — particularly talking on cellphones and texting behind the wheel. The

U.S. Standards for School Snacks Move Beyond Cafeteria to Fight Obesity

The new rules come a year after the administration updated standards for the federally subsidized school lunch and breakfast programs. The rules would apply to food sold during the school day in vending machines, snack bars and school stores. They would set calorie limits for children and limit the size of beverages they drink at school. Snack foods would be limited to 200 calories per serving, and caffeinated drinks would be allowed only in high schools. The Agriculture Department, which is

N.C.A.A Punishes Oregon and Former Coach

The N.C.A.A.’s infractions committee found that Chip Kelly, the team’s former coach, who is now the coach of the N.F.L.’s Philadelphia Eagles, had not adequately supervised the program. The committee penalized him by putting conditions on his return to the college ranks, should he try to return. The investigation, which began more than two years ago, centered on Oregon’s ties to a recruiting service provider, who assisted the university’s football program in trying to attract players.

Shortcuts: What It Takes to Make New College Graduates Employable

MY older son graduated from high school last week and has started a pleasant job as a summer lifeguard. In four years we expect to attend his college graduation, and we hope the time there leaves him with great experiences, a love of learning and some idea how to get and keep a job. It’s that last part of the equation that I’m going to focus on. My heart sinks every time I read a news story or opinion piece quoting employers who charge that four-year colleges and universities are failing to

U.S. Standards for School Snacks Move Beyond Cafeteria to Fight Obesity

The new rules come a year after the administration updated standards for the federally subsidized school lunch and breakfast programs. The rules would apply to food sold during the school day in vending machines, snack bars and school stores. They would set calorie limits for children and limit the size of beverages they drink at school. Snack foods would be limited to 200 calories per serving, and caffeinated drinks would be allowed only in high schools. The Agriculture Department, which is

Could social media bridge the divide between business and education?

The virtual apprenticeship provides a new and alternative solution for experience-based learning. Photograph: Martin Meissner/APIn a world of economic doom and gloom, the creative industries, and digital in particular, provide an enormous ray of light. The digital industry is booming, pumping money into the economy and creating thousands of new jobs each year. Digital is no longer the future – it is the present. So why, at a time of such prosperity and growth, are fewer than 10% of graduates

The big decision: should I take a gap year?

Helping the locals in a Rwandan village ... volunteering may inspire you to go down a different career path. Photograph: peter dench / Alamy/Alamy
When I applied to university I thought seriously about taking a gap year. After a year at college, I was utterly demoralised. I hated the early mornings, and felt that I wouldn't have the motivation to attend university. I felt the best course of action would be to defer my application and have a year of saving up, hopefully gaining more work

Top 10 university student excuses

Some of the best little white lies told by students for lost or uncompleted work. Photograph: TV Licensing Photograph: the Guardian
"A first year turned up for supervision with his essay incomplete, then told me that he had just had sex for the first time. He knew that wasn't really an excuse but explained that in the bar he had told four girls he was a virgin and they had all gone back to his room."Brian MilnePhotograph: Rob Biddulph
"You're not going to believe this but I was feeding

Boat Race protester Trenton Oldfield: 'I had no choice but to swim'

'I’m not going to be separated from my partner' … Trenton Oldfield and his wife, Deepa Naik, at home in east London. Photograph: Felix Clay for the Guardian
Someone has created a fake website in Trenton Oldfield's name, and this week visitors have been posting their opinions of the Australian who disrupted last year's Boat Race. They suggest variously that this "self-opinionated moron", a "wannabe famous, half-witted knob jockey" with "a bad case of hypocrisy masquerading as a

James Martin obituary

Martin endowed what became the Oxford Martin School with $150m for research into the future challenges facing humankind. Photograph: David Sandison/Rex
James Martin, who has died aged 79, was one of the world's most prominent futurologists. Martin made a personal fortune from writing dozens of bestselling computer textbooks, giving executive seminars around the world and establishing a major IT consultancy. A growing preoccupation with the future of humankind led him to make the largest

Student online dating: is it time to ditch the stigma?

The online dating industry is worth an estimated £2bn and is now being touted as more successful than offline dating. Photograph: AlamyFor the past week I've been frozen on the final step of creating an online dating profile – not least because I can't think of a suitably private yet mature username. Before writing about this for the Guardian it was a decision I'd kept completely confidential and I'm still not sure that I'll follow it through.It wasn't something I'd ever even considered

Mission group 'identities' stifle university competition, says Keele VC

Keele's stand-alone approach means it can pursue its own interests without conforming to an overarching body, says Nick Foskett. Photograph: Keele University
As vice-chancellor of a British university, I recognise how vital it is for universities to support one another during a time of extensive reform in the higher education sector. Yet one question I am regularly asked is: why is Keele University not aligned to a mission group and never has been?
With mounting pressure on universities

Research in brief – 27 June 2013

• Institute of EducationTackling literacy problems early could dramatically reduce associated short and long-term problems, such as behavioural issues in school, teenage pregnancies and the number of young people who enter the criminal justice system, research finds. It shows illiteracy has a fundamental link to a person's behaviour and life choices, and that implementing successful literacy interventions at an early age is crucial to a child's future – helping to prevent disengagement not

How I went from serving in the army to working as a teacher

From army to teacher: after spending 14 years in the British army Steve Priday is putting some of the skills he learned to good use as a teacher. Photograph: Steve PridayFor the past four years I have been a teacher at Bedminster Down School in south Bristol but in a former life I was a police officer and, prior to that, I spent 14 years in the British army.I joined the Royal Military police as a "boy soldier" and served my queen and country across the globe in diverse locations such as

Parental engagement, reading comprehension study and more

Education research: a new study will challenge secondary students to use inquiry-based science education across 12 countries. Photograph: AlamyEngaging parents in their children's learning is a vital part of a successful home-school relationship and a study by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) and Oxford University Press (OUP) hopes to offer a range of strategies and ideas to aid schools with this perennial challenge.The study forms part of NFER's submission of evidence

Secret Teacher: Ofsted framework produces too many teacher casualties

Secret Teacher: our education system is producing innocent human casualties and is no longer about the children. Photograph: AlamyThere's a teacher at my school that needs to be apologised to. She's been there a long time, through thick and thin, good, bad and disastrous times. She's held the school together; teaching outstandingly, propping up staff and the senior leadership team (SLT), commanding the respect of all. She's got that elusive teaching X-factor. Her style can occasionally be

Education ministry gives go-ahead to two-thirds of Christian faith schools

Michael Gove said the Department for Education sought to keep the data secret because some free-school volunteers had faced intimidation. Photograph: Joe Giddens/PAThe Department for Education this year approved only one in five applications to open Islamic and Hindu faith schools as part of the government's flagship free schools programme, while accepting applications from two out of three mainstream Christian faith schools, based on analysis of data released under a freedom of information

Academies 'making shortage of school places worse'

Capital City Academy school in north-west London. Photograph: Martin Argles for the GuardianRapid expansion of the government's academy and free school programme has exacerbated a chronic shortage of places for children, the House of Commons' spending watchdog has warned.Local authorities' inability to force publicly funded but independent schools to expand has meant that struggling direct-maintained schools could be forced to squeeze in more pupils, the public accounts committee has

Dog mauls boy at primary school in Northern Ireland

Carniny primary school in Ballymena where a dog mauled a five-year-old boy in the playground. Photograph: Paul Faith/PAA dog that mauled a five-year-old boy was being shown to schoolchildren as an end-of-term treat, it has emerged . The boy was attacked in the playground of a primary school in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, on Friday morning.Raymond Ross, principal of Carniny primary school on the outskirts of Ballymena, said the animal had unexpectedly turned on the schoolboy. "The dog was

One in 10 new graduates jobless

University leavers are taking a growing share of jobs Nearly one in 10 students were believed to be unemployed six months after graduating from UK universities in 2012, new statistics show.

Men were slightly more likely than women to be out of work, but their average pay was higher, says the Higher Education Statistics Agency (Hesa).
About 9% of those who had finished full-time degrees were out of work.
Nearly 11% of men were unemployed, compared with 7% of new female graduates.
Average

Concern over head teacher shortage

The role of the head teacher has changed over the past 10 years, says the NAHT union Concerns have been raised about a shortage of headteachers after figures revealed a number of councils in Wales have struggled to fill posts.

The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) says it is due to pressure of work and lack of training.
It is more of a problem in Welsh language and faith schools, says the union.
The Welsh government says it is aware there is a shortage in some areas, and it is

Lava 'cooked' to monitor its flow

The university hopes new research will eventually help forecast where lava is going to be moving so people can be evacuated Monitoring volcanic lava flow comes with many obvious risks attached, but what if you could do it in a controlled laboratory environment?

Scientists at Lancaster University have been doing just that, thanks to a £70,000 machine which allows volcanologists to "cook lava".
The tiny furnace is capable of reaching 1,500 degrees Celsius - comfortably reaching the

School place crush 'may hit quality'

A surging birth rate has seen primary schools under pressure to expand The quality of children's education may be affected by the dramatic rush to find 250,000 primary school places in England by September 2013, MPs say.

The Commons Public Accounts Committee said central and local government failed to react fast enough to the dramatic rise in demand for primary school places in England.
The Department for Education says councils are on target to deliver them.
But the report says it may

Young boy mauled by dog at school

The incident happened at Carniny Primary School outside Ballymena. A five-year-old boy has been mauled by a dog at his school in County Antrim.

The child was taken to the Ulster hospital in Dundonald for specialist treatment.
The dog was being shown to pupils at Carniny primary school on the outskirts of Ballymena.
Raymond Ross, the school principal told the BBC: "Everyone at the school is very upset and distressed by what has happened. Our hearts go out to the boy and his family."
Mr

Students face exam re-sit over app

27 June 2013 Last updated at 18:43 GMT By Angela Harrison Education correspondent, BBC News Medical students at a London university have to re-sit an exam paper because of complaints over questions appearing on a mobile phone app.About 420 fourth-year medical students at Kings College London are to re-sit a paper they took on Tuesday.It follows claims that a lecturer who wrote some or all of the paper had based many of the questions on information published on a phone app the person had

Gregory's Girl school closure backed

John Gordon Sinclair and Clare Grogan filmed scenes outside Abronhill High Scottish ministers have backed a controversial decision to close a secondary school which was immortalised in Bill Forsyth's film Gregory's Girl.

In February, North Lanarkshire Council approved the plans to close Abronhill High in 2014 and transfer pupils to Cumbernauld High.
Ministers called in the decision amid concerns it may be bad for pupils.
Following a review, they have now concluded that the council's

Scotland inspires new Asterix author

28 June 2013 Last updated at 05:40 GMT Asterix and Obelix don kilts for their new adventure in the land of the Picts The author of the new Asterix comic book has said the Scottish landscape inspired the latest epic adventure Asterix and the Picts.

Jean Yves-Ferri and illustrator Didier Conrad are the first people, other than the original creators, to produce an Asterix story.
Illustrator Albert Uderzo invented the warrior Gaul with his scriptwriter friend, Rene Goscinny, in 1959.
Uderzo

£60m spent to support free schools

The government resisted freedom of information requests for details of free schools The government has spent almost £60m on helping free schools in England before they open and during their first year of operation, figures reveal.

The figures were published by the Department for Education after a ruling by the information commissioner.
In January, the government lost a bid to withhold information on free schools that are state-funded but independently run.
The money is in addition

Education rate for 18-year-olds down

Trainee technician The proportion of 18-year-olds in full-time education has fallen for the first time in England since 2001 but more are in work, official data suggests.

Snapshot data for the end of 2012 suggests the proportion of 18 year-olds in full-time education was down 4.3 percentage points on 2011.
There was also a slight fall in 16-18 year olds not in education, employment or training (NEET).
The skills Minister Matthew Hancock welcomed the lower NEET figures.
"I welcome the

Friday, 28 June 2013

Exhibition of artworks by Syed Ammad Tahir and Anum Ather Jamal opens at the Spaces gallery

KARACHI, June 28: An exhibition of artworks by Syed Ammad Tahir and Anum Ather Jamal opens at the Spaces gallery on Saturday at 5.30pm.

The show will continue till July

Call for proclaiming ‘education emergency’

KARACHI, June 28: The civil society representatives have called for imposing an “education emergency” in the country and demanded that the government allocate more funds for education in order to comply with the provision in the constitution which states that “the state shall provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age of five to sixteen years in such manner as may be determined by law”.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday organised by the Pakistan Institute

Shopping festival from Aug 17 at the LCCI Complex Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry

LAHORE, June 28: The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry will hold a 10-day Lahore Shopping Festival from Aug 17 to 26.

At a press conference held here on Friday, LCCI President Farooq Iftikhar said the festival, which was a combo of seven different events, would help rejuvenate economic activities that had turned sluggish owing to multiple challenges being faced by the trade and industry.

He said the chief minister would likely to inaugurate the Expo Lahore that would be the most

Ex-speaker — a breast cancer survivor Dr Fehmida Mirza, former National Assembly speaker,

ISLAMABAD, After recently going through breast cancer Dr Fehmida Mirza, former National Assembly speaker, announced that she was joining the Pink Ribbon Movement to become beacon of hope for breast cancer survivors.

Breaking this smoke screen of social taboo associated with breast cancer in Pakistan, a well-known figure has shown courage to stand upfront and share her story.

Dr Mirza said breast cancer is one of the many forms of cancers so it should be seen as a disease rather than

No funds allocated in KP budget for new colleges Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government

PESHAWAR, The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has not allocated any funds to building new colleges in the budget 2013-14 though the province is in dire need of more colleges, especially in city centres.

“Colleges in Peshawar and rest of the district headquarters are overburdened due to shortage of higher education institutions,” said an official of the Directorate of Higher Education Department.

He said that the construction of more colleges was need of the time to provide adequate

Rs500 million okayed for poor students

PESHAWAR (APP): To enhance literacy rate and overcome scarcity of educational institutions, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government has decided to construct 100 new primary schools in the province besides upgrading 50 primary schools to middle to provide quality education to students.
Likewise, 50 middle schools would be upgraded to high schools and 50 high schools to higher secondary schools in upcoming fiscal year, said an official of Elementary and Secondary Education here on Friday.
In addition

KP Governor assures to resolve financial problems of public sector varsities

PESHAWAR:?The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor, Engineer Shaukatullah while appreciating the managements of public sector universities in tackling financial constraints with success has assured that he will take up their stance for ensuring timely releases of funds at the highest level and get their difficulties resolved at the earliest.
Presiding over 8th Vice Chancellor’s Conference at the Governor’s House, Peshawar on Friday, the Governor who is also the Chancellor of the public sector

KP Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Engineer Shaukatullah to contact PM over funds for universities

PESHAWAR, June 28: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Engineer Shaukatullah on Friday praised public sector universities for successfully handling financial constraints and said he would speak to the prime minister for early release of sufficient funds to them.

He was speaking during the Eighth Vice-Chancellors Conference at the Governor’s House here.

Provincial higher education secretary Farah Hameed Khan, special secretaries of the provincial finance and establishment departments, Professor

Unified education system is our agenda, minister

PESHAWAR (APP): The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Elementary and Secondary Education, Muhammad Atif has said that unified system, judicious distribution of authority and proper arrangements of training for the teachers is part of our education agenda.
Talking to different delegations coming from various localities in his office, the minister said that a comprehensive policy to this effect will be chalked out in the elementary department very soon.
He said, conducive atmosphere to the

Students get cash prizes LAKKI MARWAT,

Students get cash prizes

LAKKI MARWAT, Lakki Marwat Deputy Commissioner Nisar Ahmad on Friday distributed cash prizes and shields among the students who secured top positions in the secondary school certificate examinations.

He also gave away shields and commendation certificates to the headmasters and principals of high and higher secondary schools in recognition of their hard work to show hundred per cent results in examinations.

A ceremony in this respect was held in the

Teachers threaten protest TIMERGARA,

Teachers threaten protest

TIMERGARA, Teachers on Friday threatened to launch protest demonstrations if Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government didn’t review the proposed promotion policy.

The demand was made at a meeting of the All CT Teachers Association, Lower Dir chapter, presided over by its chairman Nasrullah.

The participants expressed concern over the proposed one-third formula for teachers’ promotion in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. They said under the new formula, senior teachers would be

University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) VC for varsity-industry linkages

LAHORE

University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Talat Naseer Pasha has stressed promoting strong linkages between universities and industry to combat the modern day market challenges.

According to a press release on Friday, addressing the closing ceremony of a two-day training workshop on “Civic Engagement” here on Friday, Prof Pasha said that the UVAS was executing many innovative projects and ii was trying to build strong linkages with industry

Bee farming training for Fata women

PARACHINAR: The Fata Secretariat will provide four days bee farming training to the tribal women. Fata Development Programme In-charge Asad Ali Turi told reporters that 60 widows would benefit from the training. He added that after completing the training, these women would be given beehives, sugar, honey-kits and bees for making them self

Declare education emergency, demand NGOs Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER),

Karachi Representatives of the civil society have demanded the declaration of an education emergency in the country and asked for the allocation of more funds for this vital sector.

They said after the approval of 18th amendment, Article 25-A was inducted in the constitution, under which every citizen was entitled to free and compulsory education.

They said that under this article, every child between the ages of five and 16 should be provided free and compulsory education.

Karamat

Tehzeeb music festival showcases Pakistan’s musical talent second and final day at a local hotel

Karachi

The Tehzeeb music festival continued for the second and final day at a local hotel on Friday with a demonstration of the tremendous musical talent that lies hidden in our midst.

It was a pleasure to see such a vast reservoir of talent.

The evening opened with two classical Raags by the quartet comprising vocalist Ustad Naseeruddin Saami, vocalist Urooj Naseer, Ustad Bashir Khan (Tabla), and Raoof Naseer (harmonium).

One would have to give them all the credit possible for

USAID launches $387 million maternal, child health programme

Karachi

US Ambassador to Pakistan Richard Olson launched a $387 million Maternal and Child Health Programme on Friday.

The ambassador and Sindh Health Secretary Inamullah Khan Dharejo signed a memorandum of understanding for the five-year project at an event in Karachi.

Under this initiative, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) will support Pakistan’s efforts to reach more mothers and children with integrated family planning, maternal, newborn and child health

Psychological problems on the rise: PU VC PUNJAB University Vice-Chancellor

LAHORE

PUNJAB University Vice-Chancellor Mujahid Kamran has said that increase in problems of the people is affecting their minds due to which psychological problems are on the rise.

According to a press release on Friday, he was addressing the inaugural ceremony of new building of the Centre for Clinical Psychology near Sheikh Zayed Islamic Centre, New Campus.

Centre for Clinical Psychology’s Director Prof Dr Rukhsana Kausar, former chairperson Prof Dr Rafia Hassan, Dean Prof Dr

NISTE DG approves 17 cases but list sent to CAD Ministry carries 28 names Ministry of Capital Administration and Development (CAD),

Islamabad

A strange case of illegal regularisation of 28 daily wage employees appeared in the National Institute of Science and Technical Education (NISTE) in which the top official pointed out that she approved names of only 17 employees and eleven fake names were secretly included in it without her knowledge, sources told this scribe.

The official record showed that the former director general of NISTE, Ghayoor Sultana, approved a list of 17 daily wage employees for their regularisation

Top universities of Pakistan honoured by Jang Group, Higher Education Commission and Jang Group of Newspapers organised a ceremony

Islamabad The Higher Education Commission and Jang Group of Newspapers organised a ceremony on Thursday evening to honour top seven universities of Pakistan for securing a place in the list of top 250 Asian universities and three Pakistani universities for their ranking among top 200 world universities in agriculture and forestry sectors. These academic institutions attained the feat as per Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World Universities Rankings 2013.

The investment in higher education in

Workshop for refugees Afghan refugees in Pakistan fear forced eviction: speaker

Islamabad: The SACH (Struggle for Change), a registered non-governmental is organising a six-day micro-entrepreneurship development training for registered non-Afghan refugees with the intention of helping them progress towards self- sustainability in the country of asylum, says a press release.

The training started on June 24 will concludes today (June 29), at SACH office in Sector I-8/3 here.

A total of 21 participants took part in the training this year, who have been selected from

Workshop on civil engagement held Fatima Jinnah Women University (FJWU)

Rawalpindi: The Fatima Jinnah Women University (FJWU) organised an interactive workshop on ‘Civil Engagement’ here on Friday. Dr. Agnieszka Nance and Dr. Beth Wee from Tulane University were the resource persons of the workshop. Faculty members and students from different departments participated in the workshop.

The resource persons gave a presentation on Tulane University and talked about different service learning courses offered by university. Later, they elaborated on various

Pakistan Science Museum to be set up at Shakarparian for promotion of basic and fundamental research help in socio-economic development of the country.

Islamabad

Pakistan Science Museum will be established at Shakarparian for promotion of basic and fundamental research which may help in socio-economic development of the country.

Summary for approval of this project is submitted to the Ministry of Science and Technology, while allocation of land by Capital Development Authority (CDA) is under process, an official told APP.

Besides, establishment of Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF) science centre and museum at University of Karachi

Free medical camp for women, children related diseases, Hepatitis B & C, skin diseases and children problems

Rawalpindi: Dr. Samira Saeed will arrange free medical camp especially for women related diseases, Hepatitis B & C, skin diseases and children problems here tomorrow (Sunday) at Homeo Health Clinic, Panorama Centre, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Talking to APP here on Friday, she said during the camp consultancy, one month medication and ultra sound test will be conducted free of cost.

She further informed that they regularly organise free camps at different places in which specialist doctors

Group exhibition:‘Sharing an art studio encourages dialogue’ National College of Arts (NCA) at the Alhamra Arts Gallery

Each participant brought a photograph which inspired them and from that collection of photos, the exhibited work was produced, says Minaa Mohsi.

LAHORE:

The group work of nine National College of Arts (NCA) youth graduates are on display at an art exhibition titled, Limbs – Anatomy of Images, organised by the Attic Studios here at the Alhamra Arts Gallery.

Minaa Mohsin, one of the participants, said, “Attic Studio is a residency of sorts…We work together in an attic like space

Education for all: 36 young fellows start journey to teach Pakistan , a Lahore University of Management Sciences alumnus,

Around 36 young Teach for Pakistan fellows are now getting ready to teach Pakistan and carry on the journey that Tooba Akhtar, a Lahore University of Management Sciences alumnus, chose to start around two years ago.

These fresh graduates of some of the prestigious institutions across the country and abroad will form the third batch of Teach for Pakistan fellows.

For most people of Akhtar’s age, the idea of teaching grade three to grade eight public-school students for a monthly stipend

Book launch: Historian blames ruling elite for present mess latest book, “Tarikh Ka Safar” (Journey of History), at the Pakistan Academy of Letters by Dr Mubarak Ali,

Nazir Mehmood said Dr Mubarak was one of his kind in a country where people preferred take up more lucrative professions.

ISLAMABAD: Speakers at a book launching ceremony on Friday agreed that the genius of Dr Mubarak Ali, an internationally-acclaimed historian and intellectual, lies in the narration of facts in Urdu language to reach out to the common man.

Ardent readers, admirers and friends attended the launching ceremony of his latest book, “Tarikh Ka Safar” (Journey of

It’s all in the name: Sarwar’s bail extended till July 5 he interim bail granted to former federal minister for overseas Pakistanis Ghulam Sarwar.

LAHORE:

Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi of Lahore High Court on Friday extended, till July 5, the interim bail granted to former federal minister for overseas Pakistanis Ghulam Sarwar.

Sarwar is accused of using another man’s intermediate certificate to sit for BA exams so he could contest the 2008 elections. The Anti-Corruption Establishment had lodged the case against Sarwar. The judge ordered the Punjab Board of Technical Education chairman to appear with record of the diploma

BIEK notifies new date for exams for commerce (private), humanities (regular and private) and special candidates would be held on July 5,

KARACHI, June 28: The controller of examinations of the Board of Intermediate Education Karachi (BIEK), Mohammad Imran Khan Chishti, has announced a fresh date for the exams postponed on June 22 due to the untoward situation in the city then.

The exams for commerce (private), humanities (regular and private) and special candidates would be held on July 5, he said.

According to the announcement, Accounting paper-I will be held from 9.30am to 12.30pm on Friday. The same day, Education

Pakistani truck art cultural identity

ISLAMABAD: Truck art has always been popular in Pakistan and often reveals much about regional trends and ethnic aesthetics.

Much like billboard painting, another indigenous form of art created in Pakistan is truck painting. The colourful floral patterns and creative depictions of heroes with calligraphy of poetic verses are an established part of Pakistani transport tradition. Drivers use materials ranging from wood, metal, jangling chains, shiny objects to 3D creations to decorate their

Launched a university research programme on child labour

ISLAMABAD: The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has launched a university research programme on worst forms of child labour in collaboration with seven universities from across the country.

The programme was jointly initiated with European Union under ILO project `Combating Abusive Child Labour II (CALC II)’ in which the university students have been involved to conduct case studies on various aspects of child labour, said ILO, EC-CALT Project II Programme Officer Zaheer

Dr Fehmida Mirza urges breast cancer awareness

ISLAMABAD: After recently being diagnosed with breast cancer, former National Assembly speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza announced joining the Pink Ribbon movement to become the beacon of hope for breast cancer survivors in the country.

Breaking the social taboo associated with breast cancer, Dr Fehmida who is a well-known public figure has shown courage to stand upfront and share her story.

Dr Fehmida said that breast cancer is one of the many forms of cancers so it should be seen as a disease

Chinese media delegation visits National University of Modern Languages

ISLAMABAD: A 17-member delegation of Chinese media persons from different Chinese dailies and news channels had a detailed visit of National University of Modern Languages (NUML) on Friday. The delegation was headed by International News Department Director Guo Wencai Xin Min of Evening News. It included media representatives from all the national dailies and news channels, including Diplomat Magazine, Global Times Online, Peoples Daily, Hello Chengdu, Guangdong TV, Finance and Economic News

Research-based competition concludes at Allama Iqbal Open University

ISLAMABAD: A research-based posters/models competition held at the Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) amongst the students of BS/MSc/MPhil and PhD chemistry students concluded on Friday.

“AIOU has made great progress towards promotion of science education and earned prestigious name at international level during the last three years,” Riphah International University Islamabad Rector Prof Dr GA Miana said at the prize distribution ceremony of the competition.

Prof GA Miana and two

Fake degree : Interim bail to ex-minister extended

LAHORE: Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi of Lahore High Court extended till July 5 the interim bail granted to former federal minister for overseas Pakistanis Ghulam Sarwar, facing charges of securing graduation degree on the basis of fake intermediate certificate. The judge ordered the chairman Punjab Board of Technical Education (PBTE) to appear with on next date of hearing. The anti corruption establishment (ACE) had lodged a case against Ghulam Sarwar for obtaining a fake degree of F.A to

Child health programme

KARACHI: US Ambassador Richard Olson gave nod to the $ 387 million Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Programme in Sindh, here on Friday.

Olson and Sindh Secretary Health Inamullah Khan Dharejo signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for this five-year project. Under this initiative, US Agency for International Development (USAID) will support Pakistan’s efforts to reach more mothers and children with integrated family planning, maternal, newborn, and child health services, and ultimately

Five blind students’ exam sheet cancelled

KARACHI: Board of Intermediate Education Karachi (BIEK) vigilance team while on inspection at Government Islamia College has cancelled the ongoing intermediate exam of Islamic Studies of five blind students on pretext of unauthorised writers.

As per details, the team has cancelled the examination due to the writers, who were not those originally registered.

The blind students said that the registered writers failed to show up, and they had to call in others in an emergency, which the

Embroidery exhibition by female

A day-long exhibition of embroidery samples prepared by female trainees from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) was held here on Thursday.

A press release issued here said the exhibition was jointly organised by AHAN (AiK Hunar Aik Nagar), a company established by government and Fata Development Authority (FDA).

The embroidery samples were prepared by 35 female beneficiaries from Fata who participated in a training programme jointly arranged by AHAN and FDA by conducting

Courses on tourism in district Swat

For promotion of tourism and preservation of historical sites in district Swat, the University of Swat has announced short courses in tour guiding, hotel management, tourism management, events management and cultural heritage.

A press release issued here on Thursday stated that the Institute of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Hospitality University of Swat would start short courses from July 15, 2013, under its skill development programme.

The spokesman of the university said the short

Parents seek fee concession in private schools

Parents of private school students have been looking towards Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf-led provincial government for implementation of the Peshawar High Court verdict concerning fee concession to siblings studying at the same school.

The PHC had decided nearly two and a half years ago that the private schools would charge full fee from the first child and half fee from rest of brothers and sisters.

Talking to Dawn, Ilyas khan, a government employee, said that his three children were

Summer vacation at Lahore High Court from July 1

Summer vacation at the Lahore High Court (LHC) will begin on July 1 and continue till Sept 7.

A circular issued in this regard says that old cases, civil revisions, regular first appeals, intra court appeals up to 2008, writ petitions, murder references along with connected appeals and criminal appeals up to 2009 will come up for adjudication during this period.

Writ petitions for registration of cases/FIRs — directions to police, quashment of FIRs, family and rent matters — will be

Children to join school for summer vaccination

Summer vacation will be suspended for four days in all public and private schools of the district to vaccinate children against measles during a 10-day special campaign likely to begin from July 15.

“About 1,192,000 children aged six months to 10 years will be vaccinated against measles throughout the district,” Executive District Officer (EDO) for Health Dr Iftikhar Qureshi said here on Thursday.

He said six of the 10 days would be allocated for area to area campaign and four days

10th Annual Environment Excellence Award-2013

Since the gasification of biomass/coal and waste has become very popular in the world due to the ever increasing cost of energy, a very less work was done in Pakistan.

“As our vision is `a cleaner tomorrow,’ we will continue this research to assist the government in its fight against the pollution and energy crisis,” says Asif Faruki, chief executive of a private waste management company while speaking at the 10th Annual Environment Excellence Award-2013 ceremony organized by the

Launch of a book about demographic dividend

At the launch of a book titled ‘Capturing the demographic dividend in Pakistan’ on Thursday evening, speakers said they hoped the population and development debate would be revisited through the demographic dividend framework.

The book, a joint collaboration of the Population Council and the United Nations Population Fund, shows close linkages between population and health, education and labour force and employment, said Dr Zeba Sathar, country director of the Population Council, in her

All About Lifestyles opens

With a number stalls offering a wide variety of facilities and products ranging from fashion, housewares, electronics and computers to food, rides and science section for children as well as postage stamps collection and a health lecture, Dawn’s All About Lifestyles will be open from Friday evening to Sunday night.

Entry to the exhibition being organised at the Expo Centre is free and for families only.

Since 2001, All About Lifestyles has been Pakistan’s premier consumer showcase,

Honour for International Islamic University academician

Islamabad: An academician from the English Department of International Islamic University (IIU) is conferred upon PhD degree in Sociolinguistics and South Asian Immigrant Fiction.

After the successful defence of his PhD dissertation by a panel of distinguished academicians at the National University of Modern Languages (NUML), Muhammad Usman Ghani was declared eligible for the coveted PhD degree in the discipline of English Language and Literature.

Ghani, a teaching

Pakistan Science Foundation urged to set up science museums in all provinces

Islamabad

The Senate Standing Committee on Science & Technology (S&T) on Thursday recommended that the Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF) in collaboration with provincial education ministries should establish science museums and centres in provinces.

Chaired by Senator Professor Sajid Mir, the Senate Committee meeting was attended by Committee Secretary Zarghoona Shabbir, Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) Secretary Akhlaq Ahmad Tarar and other senior

Commerce and Business Administration exams by Khyber Pukhtunkhwa Board of Technical Education Peshawar

Shoaib, Nabiullah, Waqas & Farjad take top three spots
Fazalullah Mohmand
PEHAWAR: The Muslim College of Commerce and Management Peshawar shined when its students take all the top three positions in annual exams of Diploma in Commerce and Diploma in Business Administration's conducted by Khyber Pukhtunkhwa Board of Technical Education Peshawar.
Mohammad Shoaib got first, Nabiullah and Waqas Khan second and Mohammad Farjad Ali got third position in D.Com while Zeeshan Ahmad, Mohammad

Case closed against International Islamic University, Islamabad officials

Islamabad (Online): The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has closed the enquiry against Saif ur Rehman, Additional Director (Transport) of the International Islamic University, Islamabad (IIUI) and his other colleagues. According to the Notification of NAB, a case was investigated against the subject officials of CTU IIUI under the provisions of National Accountability Bureau Ordinance (NAO) 1999 on the allegations of Corruption and Corrupt practices through "embezzlement in fuel funds. The

ILO starts computer education

Islamabad (Online): Women in Balakot will get Computer Education from Skills Development Centre (SDC) established by ILO in 2008-09. For this purpose, ILO has donated desktop computers to the Skills Development Centre to start market-oriented courses for women. Computers were handed over to the Skills Development Centre by Ms Margaret Reade Rounds, Programme Analyst ILO. The Computer Education was rated as one of the top three skills required by women in the Balakot area during the Needs

Thursday, 27 June 2013

Build Science and Natural History Museum

ISLAMABAD (Online): Chairman Senate Standing Committee on science and technology Sajid Mir has recommended to build Science and Natural History Museum in the all provinces. He was chairing the standing committee meeting in Pakistan Science Foundation here on Thursday. He argued that the budget for Science and Technology is being increased in the next fiscal year. The chairman for Pakistan Science Foundation Dr Manzoor Somroo briefed committee about the projects of Pakistan Science Foundation

Awarded PhD degrees

The National College of Business Administration and Economics awarded PhD degrees to Sajjad Ahmed Jan and Zahid Pervaiz in the field of Economics. The topic of research by Sajjad Ahmed was “How internal and external conflicts affect development: An evidence from Pakistan”. The research topic of Zahid Parvaiz was inclusiveness, social cohesion and economic performance. Research scholar Sajjad completed his dissertation under the supervision of Dr Muhammad Wasif Siddique while Zahid Pervaiz

Pakistan Medical and Dental Council amends MBBS/BDS professional studies programmes

Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PM&DC) has amended the MBBS/BDS professional studies programmes comprising five professionals (semesters) while superseding the earlier MBBS programme schedule, which comprised four professionals.According to the new methodology, decided by the Council/Executive Committee, 1st professional of 2 years duration is divided into two professionals, the decision said.Furthermore, The executive committee/council also decided: "Any student who fails to clear

Education, health govt’s top priorities, Siraj tells DFID?

Peshawar (PPI) The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Senior Minister and JI parliamentary leader Sirajul Haq while eulogising role of British donor agency DFID in providing support to the people of the province in education, health and communication sectors, reiterated that the new provincial govt would value and encourage such a financial help having no hard conditions.
He was talking to DFID delegation led by its country head George Turkington that called on him at Committee Room of Finance Department in

Fine Arts & Design students display at thesis exhibition

PESHAWAR: Catharsis was the word best fit for the creative art work displayed by the students of Fine Arts and Design Department in the thesis exhibition held University of Peshawar on Wednesday.
Through their projects the students highlighted various social and cultural aspects of contemporary society by presenting them on canvas and using bright and dark colors. They showed that the growing militancy and unrest in the country has added to the miseries of people and has led to serious mental

Workshop on mineral exploration

PESHAWAR: Centre of Excellence in Geology University of Peshawar Wednesday arranged one-day workshop on the modern techniques of mineral exploration in the country. The moot was arranged to enlighten students' researchers with the Tectono-magmatic Controls on Porphyry and Epithermal Mineralization. World renowned economic geologist and Professor at the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, Canada Dr. Jeremy P. Richard, was the key note speaker of the

Punjab govt to convene Int’l Youth Conference

LAHORE: The Punjab Government has decided to convene "International Youth Conference" in October this year. The conference having a vast intercontinental significance will be held in Lahore.
This was disclosed by the Punjab Minister for Education, Sports, Youth Affairs, Tourism and Archaeology, Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan while talking to a delegation led by Prof. Aamir Rafique, Chairman Foundation for Promotion of Academic Revolution, at Punjab Assembly Chambers here today. The delegation was

Clerks, teachers stage protest outside Punjab Assembly

LAHORE (Online): The clerks and teachers Wednesday staged protest over the increase in salary under the aegis of All Pakistan Clerks Association (APCA) outside the Punjab assembly here. Punjab assembly opposition leader, Mahmood-ur-Rashid expressing his solidarity with the struggling clerks also joined in the APCA demonstration outside the Punjab assembly at Chairing Cross, where a large number of agitating clerks and teachers were voicing slogans against the paltry 10 percent raise in

Pakistan and Nepal exhibition on bilateral tourism

KARACHI (NNI): Nepal Tourism Board, Embassy of Nepal in Islamabadand Nepalese Consulate General in Karachi will extend best possible support to explore Nepalese market for the outbound tourists.
"I will certainly endeavour to bring closer Travel Agents Association of Pakistan (TAAP) and Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA) to bridge together for joint efforts for promoting tourism between Nepal and Pakistan," said Ambassador of Nepal to Pakistan Bharat Raj Paudyal during his

Higher Education Commission helping students: VC LUMHS

HYDERABAD (APP): Vice chancellor (VC) Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (LUMHS) Jamshoro Prof. Mashoor Alam Shah has said that prime objectives of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) were to provide quality education and scholarships to the outstanding students.
The Vice Chancellor expressed these views while speaking as chief guest at the ceremony of HEC-Need Based Scholarship Awards to 209 eligible students of MBBS, BDS and BS (Nursing) at Jamshoro on Wednesday.
The total

Social Security should be included in the fundamental rights section

KARACHI: Political leaders, economists, educationists and human rights activists on Wednesday demanded that Article 38 of the Constitution pertaining to Social Security should be included in the fundamental rights section as currently it was part of Constitution's Principles of Policy section.

These speakers were addressing a National Conference on Social Protection for Social Justice organised by Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER) at a local hotel.

The speakers

International Day Against Drug Abuse

Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) has destroyed 121 tonnes narcotics at four different cities including Quetta, Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad, which includes 10.91 tonnes of heroin, 83.45 tonnes of hashish, 26.45 tonnes of opium and few other types of intoxicants and drugs. To commemorate the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, a drug burning ceremony was organised by Anti-Narcotics Force on Wednesday.

ANF Director General Major General Malik Zafar Iqbal, high ranking

AIOU reschedules exams

AIOU reschedules exams: Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) has rescheduled final exams for Matric, FA, BA and post-graduate programmes for the Autumn Semester, 2012 on July 1 at exams centres No 74, 75 (Karachi) and centre No 233 (Hyderabad).

AIOU Exams Controller Dr Hamid Khan Niazi said these exams were earlier scheduled to be held on June 22 and were postponed due to bad law and order situation in Karachi and Hyderabad. The controller of exams said the examination centre and timing will

Young artists showcase ‘depression’ at Alhamra Lahore

LAHORE: An art exhibition showcasing the work of nine artists from the Lahore College for Women University (LCWU) opened at the Alhamra Art Gallery on Monday. The show was titled, “Evolving Nine”.

Nine studio practitioners from the LCWU approached the curator of the Alhamra Art Gallery, Tanya Sani to display their work.

“I was especially very interested in some of the work these girls brought me,” Tanya said while talking about the work on display. She named three artists, Amna

Gunmen torture seminary students By our correspondent MINGORA

Gunmen torture seminary students

By our correspondent MINGORA: Four armed men attacked a seminary in Tahirabad locality here and tortured four students, official sources said on Wednesday. The sources said that the armedmen forced entry into the seminary in Tahirabad and started beating the students when theywere reciting the Holy Quran. Four children Suhail, Attaullah, Muhammad Shoaib and Haider Ali sustained severe injuries and were taken to the Saidu SharifHospital. After the incident,

Wednesday, 26 June 2013

FBISE to declare SSC exams result

ISLAMABAD: Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE) would declare the result of Secondary School Certificate Annual Examination 2013 today (Thursday).

The exams of SSC were held during the months of March and April, said a news release issued on Wednesday.

It said the result would be available on the website of federal board at www.fbise.edu.pk and on SMS unified code 5050.

The candidates would be required to send SMS in the format FB

Cut in gas supply an anti-industry move Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) FAISALABAD City News

Cut in gas supply an anti-industry move: FCCI

From Our Correspondent

FAISALABAD: Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) president Zahid Aslam has said that reduction in the gas supply has destroyed the industrial production, affecting the exports and leaving hundreds of workers jobless.

In a statement on Wednesday, he said that gas was available for 2-3 days a week to the Faisalabad industry and a sudden curtailment due to annual turnaround of three gas fields

Lahore High Court LHC for action against parties over fake degrees

LAHORE

The Lahore High Court on Wednesday remarked that political parties should also be taken to task for awarding tickets to fake degree holders.

Justice Khalid Mehmood Khan made these remarks while hearing a petition of PML-N former MPA Shumaila Rana challenging the election commission proceedings against her on the allegation of having a fake degree.

The counsel for Shumaila told the court that the election commission was taking action against her without any solid evidence. She

Peshawar High Court (PHC) seeks explanation from Nepra delegated its powers NTDC) to cut electricity from the provinces and carryout loadshedding

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday directed Nepra to explain as under what law it had delegated its powers to the National Transmission and Dispatch Company (NTDC) to cut electricity from the provinces and carryout loadshedding.

A two-member bench comprising Chief Justice Dost Muhammad Khan and Justice Asadullah Khan Chamkani observed that under the law an institution could not delegate powers to a private company and thus the Nepra had violated the law in doing so.

The

AIOU VC calls on minister Minister of State for Education and Training Baleegh-ur-Rehman

Islamabad

Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) Vice Chancellor Professor Dr. Nazir Ahmed Sangi met Minister of State for Education and Training Baleegh-ur-Rehman here on Wednesday and informed him about the performance and achievements of the university in promoting education in the country.

He apprised him about the university’s recent initiatives to ensure education to all through distance-learning system.

The minister assured his support to the university for promoting

Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) exams has rescheduled final exams for Matric, FA, BA and post-graduate programmes

AIOU reschedules exams: Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) has rescheduled final exams for Matric, FA, BA and post-graduate programmes for the Autumn Semester, 2012 on July 1 at exams centres No 74, 75 (Karachi) and centre No 233 (Hyderabad).

AIOU Exams Controller Dr Hamid Khan Niazi said these exams were earlier scheduled to be held on June 22 and were postponed due to bad law and order situation in Karachi and Hyderabad. The controller of exams said the examination centre and timing will

20-HOUR LOADSHEDDING PAKPATTAN City news

20-HOUR LOADSHEDDING Unscheduled loadshedding from 18 to 20 hours continued in the city and its adjoining areas. Loadshedding paralysed life of citizens and villagers of the district. People faced great inconvenience due to long loadshedding. Citizens demanded Wapda high ups look into the matter. Meanwhile, former bar president condemned unscheduled loadshedding in

French envoy France Philippe Thiébaud and French Development Agency (AFD) inaugurates Jabban Hydropower plant in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

PESHAWAR: Ambassador of France Philippe Thiébaud and French Development Agency (AFD) Vice-President Grégory Clémente and the secretary of the Minister of Water and Power inaugurated the Jabban Hydropower plant in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

A press release said the Jabban Hydropower Project located on Swat canal in Malakand division was built in 1937, but it discontinued its production after a fire broke out in November 2006.

It said that a soft loan agreement of 26.5 million euros (nearly

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