KOHAT: The Private Educational Association, Kohat, (Peak) has rejected the show cause notices issued to schools by the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) for not participating in the 5th class assessment examinations.

Speaking at a meeting of principals of private schools at Collegiate Public School here on Saturday, Peak president Rab Nawaz said that the Peshawar High Court in its verdict had clearly termed the assessment examinations optional for the private schools for the 5th and 8th classes. Therefore, the BISE could not force them to conduct such exams, he said.

Mr Nawaz said that they would soon submit a reply to the BISE in this regard and also termed illegal its decision of introducing board assessment exams for the eight class.

He feared that in the current scenario where cheating was rampant in the 9th and 10th grade board examinations due to the government schools’ invigilators the children would learn it from the primary stage.

He also demanded quota in duties for teachers of private schools in the board examinations and government’s help in the provision of science and computer laboratories and other facilities for lowering the fee.

He said that the private schools were playing a vital role in education and the provincial government should support them in their endeavours.

The Peak executive body and its patron-in-chief, Mohabat Khan, decided to hold Qirat, Naat and Urdu and English debate competitions in September. It also requested the police not to raid the schools on the pretext of security arrangements.

Published in Dawn, April 30th, 2017