LANDI KOTAL: The Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Peshawar, is yet to notify a separate examination centre in Tirah valley of Khyber district for nearly 300 local students of 10th grade for the annual secondary school certificate (SSC) examinations, scheduled to start from March 13.

The students of Tirah, who will appear in the board examinations, told this correspondent by phone that the BISE officials had promised with them to set up a separate examination hall in a private school at Peer Mela in Zakhakhel area of Tirah, but they had not fulfilled the promise as yet.

They said the teachers association of local private schools also consented to establishment of a separate centre at a private school of Tirah valley and had communicated their desire to the BISE, Peshawar.

They said that all these 10th grade students had studied at about seven private schools as there was no government high school in the valley.

“We also approached the controller of examinations, BISE Peshawar, and he had assured us of establishing a separate hall for us,” the students said.

They said that they would have to either travel to Bara or Peshawar to appear in SSC examinations, adding that some students could even miss the examination altogether as they could not afford to travel outside Tirah valley.

Sources in Bara said that the local administration and education department would arrange for a temporary hostel facility for the students of Tirah in previous years to facilitate them to sit in the annual board examinations both in Peshawar and Bara.

They said it was for the first time the BISE authorities had promised to arrange an examination hall at Tirah valley.

Khyber Union, a local political organisation, has appealed the KP chief minister and education minister to immediately order establishment of a separate hall for Tirah students in the area.

Meanwhile, students of government high school in Lowara Maina area in Malagori sub-tehsil of Jamrud complained about shortage of teaching staff and non-provision of free books to them. They said that at least seven posts of teachers were also vacant in the school.

Published in Dawn, March 2nd, 2020