ISLAMABAD  -  The UK embassy in Pakistan has declined sharing information with the Pakistani authorities regard­ing “A” and “O” level students un­der the Cambridge system in Paki­stan as “Business Secret”.

This was disclosed during a meeting of the Senate Stand­ing Committee on Federal Edu­cation and Professional Training that took place at the Parliament House here Wednesday. The meet­ing was presided over by Senator Irfan Siddiqui.

Senator Mushtaq Ahmed ex­pressed concerns about the lack of information, citing a message received from the UK embassy in which the sought information was termed as “Business Secret”.

The committee discussed the starred question from Senator Mushtaq Ahmed regarding the number of students studying “A” and “O” levels under the Cam­bridge system in Pakistan. Sen­ator Mushtaq Ahmed expressed concerns about the lack of infor­mation, citing a message received from the UK embassy in which the sought information was termed as “Business Secret. The chair direct­ed the ministry officials to coordi­nate with the foreign ministry for obtaining the information.

Before delving into the agenda, the chair conveyed to committee members that this marks the final meeting of the standing commit­tee before its dissolution. Express­ing gratitude, the chair acknowl­edged the unwavering support of both committee members and of­ficials from the education ministry and HEC over the past three years. Committee members commended the chair for ensuring the smooth functioning of the standing com­mittee proceedings.

The committee also addressed the agenda item related to a starred question posed by Sena­tor Bahramand Khan Tangi during the Senate Session on 5th January 2024. The question inquired about government-established institutes for teacher training. The caretaker minister for Federal Education and Professional Training informed the committee about two such institu­tions in Islamabad. Senator Tan­gi urged international training for teachers to expose them to modern educational practices. The chair in­structed the education ministry to devise plans for teacher training encompassing dress code, moral values, and teaching acumen. 

A point of public importance con­cerning the absence of a service structure for university teachers was discussed. The HEC Chairman reported on the special committee’s progress, and the chair directed the HEC to submit an interim report by Friday. The committee meeting was attended by Senators Prof. Dr. Mehr Taj Roghani, Fawzia Arshad, Engr Rukhsana Zuberi, Mushtaq Ahmed Khan, Falak Naz, Naseebullah Bazai, and Bahramand Khan Tangi, along with the caretaker Ministry for Fed­eral Education and Professional Training, Special Secretary Educa­tion, and Chairman HEC.