ISLAMABAD: Although the federal government has cancelled all board examinations, students are still uncertain about the impact of this decision on their academics and the future strategy boards will adopt.

The government extended the closure of educational institutions until July 15 and cancelled all exams following a decision made by the meeting of interprovincial education ministers and the National Coordination Committee (NCC).

Around four million students appear in board exams conducted by 29 educational boards across the country every year.

Minister for Federal Education Shafqat Mahmood told Dawn that a new policy will be made public to address students’ concerns after a final stakeholder meeting today (Monday).

He said education ministers of the country made the decision to cancel exams, which was later endorsed by the NCC headed by the prime minister.

Minister says issues will be addressed in new policy to be made public after final stakeholder meeting

“We are preparing a comprehensive policy to address all the major issues being raised by the students and parents. On Monday,after a final meeting, we will make our new policy related to exams public,” he said.

The NCC had decided that 10th and 11th grade students would be promoted on the basis of the previous year’s results, while 9th and 10th grade students will be promoted without exams. Instead, Mr Mahmood said, 9th and 11th grade students will take composite exams next year.

He also hinted that the promoted 9th and 11th grade students could also be given a choice to either sit for composite exams or specially designed ones.

“We will make a final decision in Monday’s meeting. Our main focus is to prevent any loss for students,” he said.

Students, meanwhile, are uncertain about what their academic futures will look like.

Kashaf Bibi, a grade nine student who has only appeared in two 9th grade exams held by the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, was unhappy that 9th graders would be promoted to the 10th grade without exams and will instead sit composite exams next year.

“The entire year, I focused only on the ninth grade. Next year, it will be a huge burden on me to cover the courses of both classes,” she said.

Mohammad Shah, an aspiring doctor who has cleared his 11th class from the federal board, said he obtained 450 marks in his first year and worked hard for his second year to improve his position. He is now concerned that he will be promoted on the basis of his first year results.

“In second year, we have the chance in practical exams to secure more than 95pc, and students generally get higher marks in their second year than their first,” Mr Shah said.

He said that besides promoting students on the basis of their first year results, they should also be given additional marks that will allow them to compete in fields such as medicine or engineering.

Students also said the Ministry for Federal Education should work out a policy for students who want to improve their results and appear in supplementary exams.

Mr Mahmood said the new policy will address all these issues. When asked about university exams, such as for bachelors and masters programmes - he said universities are autonomous and the ministry did not wish to interfere in their operations.

“The Higher Education Commission and universities will finalise standard operating procedures to deal with the exams issue,” he said.

To a query about university students’ academic future, Federal Minister Shafqat Mahmood said since varsities were autonomous bodies, they could take decisions on holding exams of their regular and private students.

He said the response we have received on tele-school was very encouraging, adding that the government now plans to launch a radio channel, exclusively focusing on students’ classes and introducing other technology-based initiatives.

Meanwhile, parents in Islamabad had said that the government is responsible for extending the 20pc fee concession announced after the lockdown to July 15.

They said the Private Educational Institution Regulatory Authority (Peira) notified the concession for schools that charge more than Rs5,000 a month until May 31 last month. Now that the closure of schools has been extended to July 15, they said that the concession should be extended as well.

Published in Dawn, May 11th, 2020