HYDERABAD, Nov 26: The Sindh Public Service Commission, in its annual report for 2,003, has stated that the standard of education has continued to decline in the province and as a result the performance of graduates/post-graduates in examinations, tests and interviews conducted by the commission has remained poor.

According to the report, a copy of which has been obtained by this correspondent, the overall performance of candidates has continued to be average or below average. Their writing power/verbal communications skills in the English language is poor and inability to correctly frame even short sentences, weak grammar and spelling is common in them.

The report showed that Master degree holders lacked in-depth knowledge of their subjects and appeared ill prepared for interviews/viva-voce whereas general knowledge of candidates for jobs in BPS-16, 17 and 18 was superficial.

Questions regarding Islamiat, provincial, national and international issues largely went un-answered while graduates/post-graduates who had passed examinations as private candidates were worse than regular ones.

The report noted serious flaws in system of examination and fulfilling of requirements of grant of degrees by some universities. Expressing concern over candidates' performance, the SPSC called for strict criteria in granting affiliation by universities and insisted that standard of examination/assessment of research work must match international parameters.

The SPSC failed to find suitable candidates in all grades as performance of the candidates about general knowledge, Pakistan Studies, current affairs was poor. Only seven candidates were found suitable for 14 vaccines of BPS-19 jobs.

The report concluded: "Most of regular/private students passed their examinations with the help of guiding material available in market. They did not refer to specific books in order to broaden their professional skills/knowledge".

Among law graduates, aspirants for the post of deputy district attorney were unaware about FIR, habeas corpus, writ petition, bail before arrest, cognizable and juvenile crimes.

Candidates for jobs in the information department did not have any idea of the department's working and candidates from the Sindh Agriculture University lacked knowledge of their subjects; though they had obtained first divisions, they could not answer questions from their thesis.

The candidates were unaware about fundamental human rights, Pakistan's highest civil award, Simla Agreement, Tashkent Declaration, Objective Resolution, significant political and constitutional developments, local government system, mode of selection of the president as per 1973 Constitution, etc.

They also did not know or gave wrong replies about the Pakistan movement, Pakistan Resolution and the country's history from 1947 to 1971. Likewise, their knowledge about Islamiat and current affairs was dismal.

Among professionals, a practicing doctor could not give correct answer whether blood was liquid or solid and a first class first MA economics from Shah Abdul Latif University could not recount papers/subjects in which he had appeared. A B.com candidate said that he had done his 'DCom' (diploma in commerce) in 1989 and BCom in 1993.

Candidates coming from Karachi's universities and colleges were better than those from universities and colleges of interior of Sindh. Contribution of articles to international publications did not seem to be popular amongst some professors and a number of them were found to be out of touch with latest research and advances in their fields.

The report proposed regularization of doctors through the SPSC and introduction of basic institutional educational reforms to cover both public and private sectors to rescue education in Sindh from falling standards, multiple syllabi and unbearable cost of fees/books.

It called for efforts to discipline students and teachers alike, bring an end to use of unfair means in examinations, free educational institutions from politics and run them on professional lines.

Calling for checking mushroom growth of private educational institutions, the commission said that their proliferation continued unchecked with students and parents paying heavy financial prices at the profit-oriented commercial institutions of which only a small number offered quality education while others were dishing out certificates, diplomas and degrees of no worth.

It observed: "Our society, system and successive governments have failed to fully utilize potential of youth by not being able to give them support and jobs. The candidates are mostly coming from poor and low income groups and even in middle class, are engaged in small and odds jobs on part-time basis to supplement the incomes of their families.

This was evident from their worried faces, confused minds, incoherent replies, cheap clothing and unconfident personalities. It was not surprising for youth of Sindh where officially 30 per cent and unofficially 40 per cent people are living below poverty line."

The SPSC stressed need for holding combined competitive examination year which was last held in 2003 after three years thus a fair number of candidates become ineligible due to age constraint.