Sindh reduces passing marks for JEST, PST by 5%
Sets minimum wage at Rs25,000 across the province
Photo: Twitter/ CM House Sindh
After the appalling results of junior elementary school teachers in Sindh, the provincial cabinet decided to reduce passing marks at least 5% as a matter of policy from 55% currently required for recruiting teachers.
The Sindh government further reduced the passing marks for special candidates, women candidates, and minorities.
The decision was taken at a meeting which was presided over by Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Wednesday.
The Sindh cabinet approved a proposal submitted by the Sindh Education Department, which proposed lowering the passing marks of the following candidates:
- From 55% to 50% for women
- From 55% to 33% for special candidates
- 50% for candidates belonging to minorities
The education department briefed the cabinet on JEST results.
The test, conducted in September this year, by the Sukkur IBA Testing Service in partnership with the provincial government. About 11,549 candidates cleared the test for primary school teachers (PSTs) against total seats of 32,510 in the province.
As many as 14,000 candidates appeared in the test, competing for 14,039 seats. The percentage of successful candidates was just 0.78% for the primary teachers’ exam. Only 1,385 candidates were declared successful.
More than 500,000 applications had been received against 46,500 vacancies in the province.
Labor wages
Meanwhile, the Sindh cabinet also set the minimum wage at Rs25,000 across the province.
“The increase in salary is necessary for the face of rising inflation across the country,” the chief minister said. “A committee will soon be formed which will take action against those who are not abiding by this directive.”
He also jibed at the federal government, saying that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government appeared fixated upon amending laws and churning out ordinances benefiting them.
The CM maintained that the decision would be applicable with immediate effect, and directed all concerned who were paying less than this amount to immediately fix the minimum wage at Rs25,000.
The cabinet also approved the allotment of 433.25 acres of land to Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company.
