Secondary

Course name: Education

Level: MA / MED
Course Code: 827 Semester: Autumn 2022
Assignment: 2 Due Date: 10-04-2023
Total Assignment: 2 Late Date: 10-04-2023

Assignment no. 2
Q. No. 1 Discuss the training programs for secondary school teachers in Pakistan.

Ans-

The teaching profession, by and large, does not attract the best talent in Pakistan.
Those considered bright either join the professions such as medicine and engineering
and try to migrate to the West or are attracted by higher-level civil service positions,
which open avenues for enormous graft and corruption. A few exceptions would be
some highly respected university faculty and those scientists working at the highest
levels of the country's research establishment, especially those involved in missile
and nuclear technology.

Among the reasons for the reluctance to join the teaching profession at the primary
and secondary levels are relatively low salaries, unattractive working conditions, and
the high teacher-student ratio, which is around 1:40 at the primary and 1:36 at the
secondary level. In the early 1990s there were 87 elementary teacher-training
institutions offering a one-year program leading to the Primary Teaching Certificate
(PTC) for teachers in grades one to five or the Certificate of Teaching (CT) for teachers
in grades six to eight. While the PTC course needs 10 years of education for admission
to it, the CT course requires 12 years and an FA/FSC certificate. The Allama Iqbal
Open University also offers distance education courses for its PTC and CT programs.
There are three types of programs for training of teachers in Pakistan. The first is the
one-year primary school teacher-training program in basic subjects and methods of
teaching, including child psychology. The secondary school teachers are required to
join one of the numerous teachers' training colleges or a university department of
education either for a one-year program leading to the Bachelor of Education
diploma or a three-year program leading to a Bachelor of Education degree. The
admission to either program requires a bachelor's or master's degree in any discipline
from any university. The higher-level work leading to degrees in education at the
master's or the doctorate level is done in the departments of education in the
universities, which produce specialists as well as academic administrators. There are
also several inservice training programs for "untrained" teachers or for upgrading the
curriculum. Teachers sent to such programs are nominated by the school principals
and approved by the district officer and generally receive full salary during the in-
service training.

Science and technical teaching has been given special emphasis by the federal
government. Thus, Islamabad's Institute for the Promotion of Science Education and
Training (IPSET) and National Technical Teachers Training College (NTTTC) have been
doing excellent work in upgrading the knowledge base of secondary school and junior
college science teachers as well as instructors in technology colleges and
polytechnics. For educational administrators there is the Academy of Educational
Planning and Management (AEPAM) at Islamabad, providing courses and in-service
training for school and college principals, district education officers, and regional
directors.

There are few facilities in Pakistan for special education. The first to start courses
leading to a master's degree in special education were the University of Karachi, the
National Institute for the Handicapped at the University of Islamabad (NIHUS), and
the Allama Iqbal Open University. With the establishment of the office of
DirectorGeneral of Special Education within the Ministry of Health, Social Welfare,
and

Special Education in 1985, special education attracted a national focus. In 1989 NIHUS
received a major boost with the opening of 45 centers for special education with a
combined enrollment of 3,500. Additionally, a National Training Center for the
Disabled and a national Mobility and Independence Training Center for producing
teachers in special education were established in Islamabad. Most of these projects
were made possible with funds, overseas training, and technical guidance from WHO,
UNICEF, UNESCO, and UNDP. Programs were instituted for training fellowships
abroad as well as for visits by experts from Europe and the United States.

Q. No. 2 Write a note on teacher education programs in Pakistan.

Ans-

The right to education is enshrined within the Constitution of Pakistan. Article 25-A
Pakistan states: “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.”(“The Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan”, 2012)

Following the 18th amendment, education has largely become a provincial rather
than a national issue, and each province has made progress in developing reforms to
their respective education systems. However, implementation of these reforms has
remained a huge challenge. There is no doubt that steps have also been taken to
strengthen the facilities and services for primary, middle and secondary schools, as
well as an admirable effort directed towards the expansion of non-formal education.
Unfortunately, major issues and challenges continue to hinder the end goals of these
initiatives from being achieved.
Some statics on the state of education in Pakistan

To share a few examples of the obstacles faced, the population of Pakistan has
reached 208 million individuals as of 2018. 38% of this population currently lives
below the poverty line (Jamal, 2017), while 43% of the adult population (i.e. aged 15
and above) remains illiterate. For portion of adults mentioned, the percentage can be
further broken down to reveal a substantial gender gap wherein 51% of adult women
compared to 30% of men are illiterate(AEPAM, 2016). Several other factors also
directly affect the state of education in the country. A low annual education budget,
over 90% of which goes for teacher and administrative salaries, is one example. Poor
infrastructure that hampers productive learning environments, poor teaching and
learning resources, and an assessment structure that operates in non-native
languages are several more.

Further insights into statistics on the matter paint a grim picture on the country’s
aspiration of education for all. For instance, there are 51.17 million children in
Pakistan between the ages of 5 -16 years out of which nearly 23 million are
categorized as out of school (Khan, 2017). There is also a shortage of schools, wherein
for every 13 primary schools, there is only 1 middle school (“National Education
Policy”, 2017). Finally, there is a shortage of teachers — around 50% of primary
schools in Sindh and Balochistan and 29% in Pakistan as a whole have only one
teacher (“Pakistan Education Statistics”, 2017). When it comes to the quality of
education and learning outcomes of students, the numbers are even more
distressing. For grade 5 students, 44% of school children cannot read a story fluently
either in
Urdu or provincial languages. 48% cannot read a sentence fluently in English, while
49% cannot carry out simple two-digit division.
Improving student learning is one of the key outcomes that all stakeholders of an
education system should focus on. A good understanding of student learning is
important for teachers, so they can focus their efforts on key areas that need to be
improved and enhance teaching-learning practices in the classroom. Examination and
assessment data is also useful for policymakers to understand what factors hinder
effective learning, to inform future policies. In addition, examinations are used to
signal student performance for admission to higher studies and for the job market. A
sound assessment and examination system is thus integral to a good education
system.

The education system in Pakistan is categorized as primary (grade 1-5), middle (grade
6-8), secondary (grade 9-10) higher secondary (grade 11-12) tertiary education. Those
entering secondary and higher secondary education go through high-stake
examinations conducted by a Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE).
The secondary school education system, particularly exams, plays a major role in both
teaching and learning attitudes that affect the entire system. If assessment and
examinations are not aligned with the curriculum and continue to focus on textbook
based examination (i.e. memorizing the content of the textbook), then eventually
assessment starts to drive learning and has a trickle-down effect on the entire
education system.

There are currently 29 government run BISE bodies in Pakistan (Sindh, Punjab,
Balochistan, KPK, and a Federal Board), along with one private, local board (Aga Khan
University Examination Board), and two foreign boards (Cambridge Assessment and
the International Baccalaureate system).Teachers follow the pattern set by various
BISE bodies, and as such most are preparing students to rote learn as they know that
the students will be tested on their ability to memorize. This directly leads to
student’s own learning attitudes becoming a lifelong behavior. It is worth noting that
out of the total body of students set to take their secondary or higher secondary
examinations, over 90% are doing so in government schools that follows various BISE
curriculums.

In this regard, government BISE bodies are widely criticized for not aligning their
examinations with the National Curriculum of Pakistan — although the National
Curriculum of 2006 is based on learning outcomes, many BISE bodies are still
following 2002 curriculum. Another practice that has come under scrutiny is their
inability to assess higher order learning, as well as a propensity to drive students to
rote learn, rather than understand and apply concepts. Several studies conducted at
both a national and international level (Rind, 2017), (Awan, Aslam, Muzaffar, Khan, &
Rashid, 2016), (Burdett, 2017) have shown poor quality of examination questions
concentrated at the knowledge rather than application level that are also frequently
repeated over the years.

Furthermore, while there are major issues in quality of examination papers, there is
also a lack of compatibility between grades/marks and student’s demonstrated skills,
which directly impacts how the public views both the methods and validity of
assessment. Meanwhile, rampant malpractice and cheating in examinations make the
system unreliable and unfair for all. Through such poor practices, the system loses
credibility for the qualification it offers and does not prepare students for higher
learning. These students also face challenges for admission into university, as they
are unable to clear the entrance exams.

To summarize: This is the harsh reality that we live in. While poverty and adult
illiteracy hampers the progress to provide basic education, the quality of education
and assessment is another major battle that Pakistan faces. To say that the education
system of Pakistan is fraught with considerable challenges would not be accurate.
Rather, it is necessary to be blunt and say that Pakistan continues to face an
educational crisis.

Put together, these statistics and facts are reflective of two central issues at the heart
of Pakistan’s educational crisis: Firstly, existing educational paradigms are failing our
students. Secondly, there is an understandable deficit in the faith and trust that the
public places in the education system, considering that the statistics suggest most
students lack an understanding rudimentary linguistic or mathematical practice.

The Way Forward

It would, however, be wrong to conclude on a note of despair. There is hope that the
system could improve if certain measures are taken. Considering that 33% of all
education in Pakistan is provided by the private sector, it is in the direct interest of
the government to foster public-private partnerships aimed at bolstering the existing
public educational framework.

In this regard, I would like to give seven recommendations that focus primarily on
secondary education and more specifically on BISE bodies; not only relevant to our
context but also achievable, which are as follows.

Recommendation One: Support Teaching And Learning

Intuitively, the first step towards building better education system in Pakistan is
supporting academia. This can be accomplished primarily by following the National
Curriculum of Pakistan and developing syllabi based on it. The syllabi should be
equipped to make use of achievable Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs), which clearly
define what a student’s takeaway from each topic on any given subject should be.
The syllabus, thus, serves as a guide for both students and teachers to determine
what material they must cover as part of their learning and prevents reliance on a
single textbook. Moreover, this measure allows for a fully transparent playing field
that charts a complete course of studies, ensuring students will always be aware of
what material they will be assessed on.

Recommendation Two: Ensure Quality Of Examinations

To ensure quality of examination papers, a quality assurance process of examination

development is necessary. This process should ensure the complete alignment with
the syllabus, and guarantee fairness and a linear increase in difficulty during the
development of papers themselves. Processes must be developed to ensure the
examination is measuring a student’s ability beyond knowledge such as
understanding of the concepts, its application, problem solving etc. Frequent
repetition of the same questions over the years, allows a space for student to rote
learn responses; therefore, this practice should be minimized. Furthermore, it is
imperative to ensure that there is fairness to the entire student body in the
construction of examinations, meaning that the diverse backgrounds and
circumstances faced by students are considered. For instance, if students from urban
cities tend to outperform students from rural regions, it is unfair to construct
examinations that may pose more of a challenge to the former at the risk of unfairly
putting the latter at a significant disadvantage.

Recommendation Three: Ensure Quality Of Assessment Data

Just as there is a need to ensure quality in exam construction, there is a need to

ensure quality of assessment data for a reliable, valid and fair assessment, too. This is
primarily accomplished through an extensive psychometric analysis that looks at
response of each examination items to strengthen the quality assurance process. For
this purpose, rubrics or standardized marking scheme for awarding marks should be
established for each paper to reduce the influence of personal biases on the part of
examiners and ensures uniformity in the level of understanding about how to award
marks regardless of whom happens to be grading the examination papers. A
thorough post-exam analysis must also be conducted to determine trends in scores,
item behavior to ensure standardization before disseminating the results.

Recommendation Four: Ensure Fairness And Transparency In The Conduct Of

Examinations

Impersonation, cheating, and leakage of examination papers threaten the fair and
transparent conduct of examination — technology can be utilized to combat them.
For example, CCTV monitoring of examination halls can go a long way towards
preventing cheating or improper conduct of examinations, and further instill a sense
of there being zero tolerance towards any type of unfair practices. There is also a
need to properly train and support both supervisors and invigilators in the conduct of
examinations, allowing for more experienced individuals to oversee their conduct.
Such good practices not only create public confidence, but also give credibility to the
qualification/certification.

Q. No. 3 What are the crises of education in Pakistan? Write in detail.

Ans-

It is mandated in the Constitution of Pakistan to provide free and compulsory

education to all children between the ages of 5-16 years and enhance adult literacy.
With the 18th constitutional amendment the concurrent list which comprised of 47
subjects was abolished and these subjects, including education, were transferred to
federating units as a move towards provincial autonomy.

The year 2015 is important in the context that it marks the deadline for the
participants of Dakar declaration (Education For All [EFA] commitment) including
Pakistan. Education related statistics coupled with Pakistan’s progress regarding
education targets set in Vision 2030 and Pakistan’s lagging behind in achieving EFA
targets and its Millennium Development Goals(MDGs) for education call for an
analysis of the education system of Pakistan and to look into the issues and problems
it is facing so that workable solutions could be recommended.

What is Education System?

The system of education includes all institutions that are involved in delivering formal
education (public and private, for-profit and nonprofit, onsite or virtual instruction)
and their faculties, students, physical infrastructure, resources and rules. In a broader
definition the system also includes the institutions that are directly involved in
financing, managing, operating or regulating such institutions (like government
ministries and regulatory bodies, central testing organizations, textbook boards and
accreditation boards). The rules and regulations that guide the individual and
institutional interactions within the set up are also part of the education system.

Education system of Pakistan:

The education system of Pakistan is comprised of 260,903 institutions and is

facilitating 41,018,384 students with the help of 1,535,461 teachers. The system
includes 180,846 public institutions and 80,057 private institutions. Hence 31%
educational institutes are run by private sector while 69% are public institutes.

Analysis of education system in Pakistan

Pakistan has expressed its commitment to promote education and literacy in the
country by education policies at domestic level and getting involved into international
commitments on education. In this regard national education policies are the visions
which suggest strategies to increase literacy rate, capacity building, and enhance
facilities in the schools and educational institutes. MDGs and EFA programmes are
global commitments of Pakistan for the promotion of literacy.

A review of the education system of Pakistan suggests that there has been little
change in Pakistan’s schools since 2010, when the 18th Amendment enshrined
education as a fundamental human right in the constitution. Problems of access,
quality, infrastructure and inequality of opportunity, remain endemic.

Issues

A) MDGs and Pakistan

Due to the problems in education system of Pakistan, the country is lagging behind in
achieving its MDGs of education. The MDGs have laid down two goals for education
sector:

Goal 2: The goal 2 of MDGs is to achieve Universal Primary Education (UPE) and by
2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course
of primary schooling. By the year 2014 the enrolment statistics show an increase in
the enrolment of students of the age of 3-16 year while dropout rate decreased. But
the need for increasing enrolment of students remains high to achieve MDGs target.
Punjab is leading province wise in net primary enrolment rate with 62% enrolment.
The enrolment rate in Sindh province is 52%, in Khyber Pakhtunkhawa (KPK) 54% and
primary enrolment rate in Balochistan is 45%.

Goal 3: The goal 3 of MDGs is Promoting Gender Equality and Women

Empowerment. It is aimed at eliminating gender disparity in primary and secondary
education by 2005 and in all levels of education not later than 2015. There is a stark
disparity between male and female literacy rates. The national literacy rate of male
was 71% while that of female was 48% in 2012-13. Provinces reported the same
gender disparity. Punjab literacy rate in male was 71% and for females it was 54%. In
Sindh literacy rate in male was 72% and female 47%, in KPK male 70% and females
35%, while in Balochistan male 62% and female 23%.

B) Education for All (EFA) Commitment

The EFA goals focus on early childhood care and education including pre-schooling,
universal primary education and secondary education to youth, adult literacy with
gender parity and quality of education as crosscutting thematic and programme
priorities.

EFA Review Report October 2014 outlines that despite repeated policy commitments,
primary education in Pakistan is lagging behind in achieving its target of universal
primary education. Currently the primary gross enrolment rate stands at 85.9% while
Pakistan requires increasing it up to 100% by 2015-16 to fulfil EFA goals. Of the
estimated total primary school going 21.4 million children of ages 5-9 years, 68.5%
are enrolled in schools, of which 8.2 million or 56% are boys and 6.5 million or 44%
are girls. Economic Survey of Pakistan confirms that during the year 2013-14 literacy
remained much higher in urban areas than in rural areas and higher among males.

C) Vision 2030

Vision 2030 of Planning Commission of Pakistan looks for an academic environment

which promotes the thinking mind. The goal under Vision 2030 is one curriculum and
one national examination system under state responsibility. The strategies charted
out to achieve the goal included:

(i) Increasing public expenditure on education and skills generation from 2.7% of
GDP to 5% by 2010 and 7% by 2015.
(ii) Re-introduce the technical and vocational stream in the last two years of
secondary schools.

(iii) Gradually increase vocational and technical education numbers to 25-30% of all
secondary enrolment by 2015 and 50 per cent by 2030.
(iv) Enhance the scale and quality of education in general and the scale and quality
of scientific/technical education in Pakistan in particular.
Problems: The issues lead to the comprehension of the problems which are faced in
the development of education system and promotion of literacy. The study outlines
seven major problems such as:

1) Lack of Proper Planning: Pakistan is a signatory to MDGs and EFA goals.

However it seems that it will not be able to achieve these international commitments
because of financial management issues and constraints to achieve the MDGs and
EFA goals.
2) Social constraints: It is important to realize that the problems which hinder the
provision of education are not just due to issues of management by government but
some of them are deeply rooted in the social and cultural orientation of the people.
Overcoming the latter is difficult and would require a change in attitude of the
people, until then universal primary education is difficult to achieve.
3) Gender gap: Major factors that hinder enrolment rates of girls include poverty,
cultural constraints, illiteracy of parents and parental concerns about safety and
mobility of their daughters. Society’s emphasis on girl’s modesty, protection and early
marriages may limit family’s willingness to send them to school. Enrolment of rural
girls is 45% lower than that of urban girls; while for boys the difference is 10% only,
showing that gender gap is an important factor.
4) Cost of education: The economic cost is higher in private schools, but these are
located in richer settlements only. The paradox is that private schools are better but
not everywhere and government schools ensure equitable access but do not provide
quality education.
5) War on Terror: Pakistan’s engagement in war against terrorism also affected the
promotion of literacy campaign. The militants targeted schools and students; several
educational institutions were blown up, teachers and students were killed in
Balochistan, KPK and FATA. This may have to contribute not as much as other factors,
but this remains an important factor.
6) Funds for Education: Pakistan spends 2.4% GDP on education. At national level,
89% education expenditure comprises of current expenses such as teachers’ salaries,
while only 11% comprises of development expenditure which is not sufficient to raise
quality of education.
7) Technical Education: Sufficient attention has not been paid to the technical and
vocational education in Pakistan. The number of technical and vocational training
institutes is not sufficient and many are deprived of infrastructure, teachers and tools
for training. The population of a state is one of the main elements of its national
power. It can become an asset once it is skilled. Unskilled population means more
jobless people in the country, which affects the national development negatively.
Therefore, technical education needs priority handling by the government.

Poverty, law and order situation, natural disasters, budgetary constraints, lack of
access, poor quality, equity, and governance have also contributed in less
enrolments.

Q. No. 4 What measures were taken to achieve the objectives of education policy
1972-80?

Ans-
The first formal education policy was formulated in 1970 (Ali, 2013) which laid a
stronger emphasis on improving the education system of the country. According to
Aziz (1986), a special focus was placed on the improvement of the deteriorating
quality of higher education in this policy. Recommendations were made for the
establishment of Centres of Excellence in selected disciplines by universities. It was
also emphasized to start postgraduate teaching and research programs in different
departments of the universities; postgraduate classes in the selected colleges; and
grant autonomy to the colleges having established long traditions of quality. Besides,
it was recommended to improve service structures and pay scales for university
faculty and to review rules regarding university teachers’ efficiency and discipline. It
was recommended not to open new colleges in public or private college for the next
few years, and instead to expand and strengthen the existing colleges by providing
more facilities, infrastructure, labs, equipment, and staff trainings. It was also
proposed that the affairs of colleges should be controlled by directorates of college
Education (Government of Pakistan, 1970; Aziz, 1986). In the education of policy
1970, steps were recommended to streamline the managerial and financial matters
of the universities through legislation. Rules and regulations for the affiliation of
colleges were also devised and it was proposed that colleges with excellence in
teaching should be entrusted with autonomy to devise their own courses and
conduct examinations for attainment of degrees from affiliating universities. It was
proposed that new universities be established in different areas in the light of
population Education Policy
Provisions and Objectives M. I. Majoka and M. I. Khan ITALIAN JOURNAL OF
SOCIOLOGY OF EDUCATION, 9 (2), 2017 109 distribution in order to reduce the
burden of affiliations and examinations on the universities. It was also proposed to
establish purely affiliating universities so as to allocate some already existing
universities to teaching and research only (Government of Pakistan, 1970). These
policy recommendations were consistent with the recommendations of National
Education Commission 1959 and seem to be a progressive addition in educational
development. This policy could not be implemented due to the war with India along
with civil war in East Pakistan that resulted in the separation of the east wing of the
country and the formation of the independent country of Bangladesh (Bengali, 1999).
The National Education Policy, 1972 contained a number of recommendations
regarding higher education in Pakistan. The recommendations specific to higher
education were: Establishment of new universities at Saidu Sharif, Multan, and
Sukkur; bestowing a full-fledged university status on Jamia Islamia Bahawalpur ;
addition of undergraduate faculties in the University of Islamabad; establishment of
collaboration between universities; development of Area Study Centres in
universities; establishment of the University Grants Commission; cutting down the
enrolment in arts to 5% per annum, and raising enrolment in sciences at 10% per
annum (Aziz, 1986; Government of Pakistan, 1972). The most radical
recommendation with far reaching consequences was the nationalization of all
privately managed higher education institutions in the country. These policy
measures through apparently seemed very progressive resulted in an annual decline
in the growth of enrolment in colleges and universities from 13 per cent to less than 5
per cent during 1972-1977 (Hassan, 1998). The military led government presented an
education policy in 1979. One of the highlights of this education policy was the radical
Islamisation of the education system in Pakistan. The recommendations made
regarding higher education in this policy included: Establishment of no new university
except women’s universities for the next five years; strengthening of the existing
setup of centres of excellence, laboratories, libraries, and students’ hostels;
transforming well accomplished departments of the universities in to centers of
advanced studies; allowing the mobility of qualified staff among universities,
government departments, and research organizations; making arrangements for
inservice trainings of university teachers under the National Academy of Higher
Education; and amendment in the university act (Government of Pakistan, 1979).
Furthermore, recommendations for improving college education included: inclusion
of Classes XIII – XVI in Education Policy Provisions and Objectives M. I. Majoka and M.
I. Khan ITALIAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY OF EDUCATION, 9 (2), 2017 110 Degree
Colleges; provision of facilities of science subjects in degree colleges; starting
postgraduate classes in the selected colleges; and setting up a minimum criteria for a
degree college (Government of Pakistan, 1979). This education policy was a
continuation of the policies formulated in 1950’s and 60’s.

Q. No. 5 Make a comparison between annual and semester system of examination

system.

Ans-

The main difference between semester and annual system is that within the annual
system, the university exams are held after one academic year, whereas within the
semester system, university exams are conducted after a period of five to six months.

Semester system and annual system are two different systems the universities and
colleges adapt to educate youth. However, there exist significant differences between
annual and semester systems.

What is a Semester System

A semester system is an academic term. Within a semester system, an academic year

is divided into two sessions. Therefore, a semester usually covers a period of six
months. The semester system is present not only in universities but also in the school
system of some countries.
Within a semester system, both first and second semesters consist of an equal of six
months. Therefore, after six months of teaching, examinations are conducted to
evaluate the knowledge and skills of the students.

Moreover, there are two key objectives of a semester system: continuous evaluation
and encouraging regular study habits among the students. Thus, a semester system
allows students to engage in continuous learning, face assessment, and receive
necessary feedback. Furthermore, this system particularly facilitates the evaluation of
student performance twice a year.

What is an Annual System

An annual system is a system the students continue their studies throughout one year
without any break. Compared to the semester system, the annual system is relatively
traditional, and it covers a bigger syllabus. Within the annual system, the exams are
held after continuous teaching for one academic year.
Within this system of evaluation, the students usually feel that they have an adequate
amount of time to prepare for the examination. Furthermore, an annual system is
relatively economical as it demands a smaller number of examiners. This leads to
reducing the university’s expenditure on exams. In addition, an annual system usually
allows the students to take part in the co-curricular and extracurricular activities and
gives the teachers a chance to impart more knowledge to the students.

Similarities Between Semester and Annual System

• The semester system and annual system are two main evaluation systems within
universities.
• Both systems involve a teaching and learning process and a process of assessment
evaluation.
Difference Between Semester and Annual System

Definition

The annual system refers to a university education system where the exams are held
after one academic year, whereas the semester system refers to an education system
where exams are conducted after a period of five or six months.

Assessment and Evaluation

Within the semester system, the evaluators assess the students continuously.
Therefore, from the side of the students, the semester system is better for student
concentration and learning. When it comes to the annual system, the examinations
are held at the end of each academic year. This often overburdens the students
academically.
Exam Expenditure
Compared to the annual system, the semester system is costly for a university.
Exam Results
Through the semester system, the students are continuously assessed as the
examinations are held at the end of each semester. Therefore, the students continue
to prepare daily and perform better and obtain good marks. However, under the
annual system, the students frequently start their preparation for the annual exam at
the last minute and consequently obtain lower marks.
Conclusion
The main difference between semester and annual system is that within a semester
system, the final evaluation takes place at the end of each semester, whereas, within
an annual system, the final evaluation takes place at the end of a particular academic
year.
Moreover, the students within the semester system continue to prepare daily for the
evaluation process, while within the annual system, the students’ preparation usually
takes place at the last moment.