Streamlining the curriculum: Sindh Education Dept introduces new scheme of studies

In compliance with SHC orders, students to study all science subjects in both classes 9 and 10

KARACHI: In a bid to streamline the curriculum, Sindh's school education department has approved a new, province-wide scheme of studies for Grades 9 and 10th students. Based on the decision of the Sindh High Court (SHC), the new system will equally bifurcate all the science subjects into two years in line with the national scheme of studies.

Earlier, half of the science subjects were taught to students in class 9th and half of them in class 10th. As a result, most students opting for science groups in the first year of their intermediate would easily forget the topics that they were taught in grade 9th. The upcoming change will ensure that students are able to better grasp the subjects when they start their intermediate education and there is no unnecessary gap.

The new rule has been introduced for both the private and public schools across Sindh and will be implemented with the commencement of the new academic session on July 1, 2020. From then onwards, schools will be obliged to teach chemistry, computer science, biology, physics and mathematics to both Grades 9 and 10 students.

The educational boards in Sindh will conduct exams for the 9th grade in 2021 and the 10th grade in 2022, respectively, in accordance with the new rule. This means that unlike the past, students will have to appear in the exams for science subjects in both Grades 9 and 10.

With the issuance of the notification of the decision, the Sindh education department has already made the required changes to the current curriculum by dividing the chapters of all the science subjects into two parts, one for class 9th and the other for class 10th.

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Akin to the other provinces of the country, from 2021, the total marks for matric exams in Sindh will be 1100, out of which exams carrying 550 marks will be conducted in the 9th grade while exams carrying the remaining 550 marks will be conducted in the 10th grade.

Per the information available with The Express Tribune, in accordance with the new scheme of studies, the examination marks for English in Grades 9 and 10th have been set at 100 as against the previous 75 marks. The examination marks for Urdu, Islamiat and Pakistan Studies will remain 75 like the past. However, a 75-mark mathematics exam, which earlier carried 100 marks, will be conducted for grade 9th and grade10th students, respectively.

Similarly, exams carrying 75 marks will be conducted for physics, chemistry, biology and computer science subjects for Grades 9 and 10th, respectively. The bifurcation will carry 85 marks for theory and 15 marks for practical. The distribution for computer science, however, will be 75 marks for theory and 25 marks for practical.

On being contacted, the Directorate of Curriculum, Assessment & Research (DCAR) Sindh Asghar Memon said that his department had sent the revised curriculum of Grades 9 and 10th to the Sindh Textbook Board (STB) back in June 2018.

"We had sent the curriculum for class 9th and 10th last year, and the revised curriculum of the intermediate part one has also been sent to the STB. However, only the board can make it clear whether the new curriculum would be published this year," he said.

Speaking about the new scheme, the Chairman of the Sindh Textbook Board (STB) Agha Sohail Pathan assured that revised textbooks for Grades 9 and 10th will be available in the market for the new session commencing from July 2020 soon. He added that the textbooks for intermediate part one, however, will not be published this year as per the new curriculum.