PESHAWAR: A group of private school owners on Tuesday criticised the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Peshawar officials over refusal to hand over photocopies of the checked papers to students.

Such students had applied for the purpose via the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Right to Information Act.

National Education Council chairman Nazar Hussain told reporters at the Peshawar Press Club that students were allowed by the law to have access to their checked papers of SSC and intermediate exam and therefore, denying them the same was a criminal act.

He said the handing over of checked papers to students would help make the affairs of all board systems transparent and fair.

Flanked by Syed Khalid Shah, Khawaja Abdul Hanan and others, the NEC chairman said a group of students had applied to secure photocopies of their checked papers from the BISEP under the RTI law but the board moved the court against it.

“It is beyond understanding that laws are made for the well-being of the society but they are challenged in the court,” he said.

Mr. Nazir said students and parents had lost trust in the examination system of all secondary boards and therefore, the people preferred O level and federal board education systems to it. He alleged that the school and college owners used various invalid and unfair means in examination halls to secure high marks for own students and thus, ensuring their subsequent admission to leading educational institutions.

“If corrective measures are not taken against these invalid exam systems, the provincial administrations will be in the hands of incapable persons” he said.

The NEC chairman asked PTI chief Imran Khan to take notice of the BISEP administration moving to the court against the provincial laws and said the only purpose of the move was to make the RTI ineffective.

He said the refusal of the board’s administration to give students the photocopies of checked papers was tantamount to hiding corruption in the board.

Mr. Nazar said private educational institutions usually delivered checked papers of students to parents to give them a better understanding of their children’s academic performance.

“The government claims it has eliminated corruption from the province and if it is true, then why the government has become a silent spectator to the frequent use of unfair means in examination halls in the province,” he said.

The NEC chairman insisted the paper checking system of boards was ineffective.

He demanded the intervention of chief minister and education minister and secretary to ensure provision of photocopies of checked papers by the BISEP to students.

Published in Dawn September 7th, 2016