LAHORE: A large number of students on Monday held a demonstration against the conduct of ‘O’levels and International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) physical examinations scheduled from May 10 and demanded the cancellation of the activity citing “increasing coronavirus positivity rate in the country”.
Punjab Minister for Higher Education Raja Yasir Hamayun Sarfraz held a meeting with the students and said the Cambridge International examination’s decision would be taken up by provincial ministers at a meeting on Tuesday and he would present the demands of the students there.
He also said Cambridge International should hold O and A levels examinations at the same time all over the world and he would contest the case of the students. Later, the students on the assurance of the minister ended their protest.
The Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) has issued a schedule for ‘O’ levels and IGCSE examinations to be conducted from May 10 to June 8. A large number of students gathered on The Mall at Chairing Cross and blocked the road for several hours.
They chanted slogans against the government for not contacting Cambridge authorities for the cancellation of the papers. They were also carrying placards and banners inscribed with slogans demanding cancellation of the IGCSE examinations.
The protesters claimed the IGCSE exams had been canceled in different countries due to the coronavirus pandemic but the Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) was treating Pakistan differently.
They said the syllabus was incomplete and most of them were suffering from anxiety and depression because of the pandemic.
They said the syllabus for the UK students was reduced and the students were also given two months extra to prepare for their exams.
They said students from other countries would get better grades as their governments were cooperating with them whereas Pakistani students would lose seats in foreign and local universities. They said the schools had mostly been closed since March 2020 which affected their studies and they could not learn in a better way online. A large number of students belong to villages and northern areas who come to big cities to study for O/A levels. With the closure of hostels, these students were also severely disadvantaged, they said.
They said a number of students and their relatives were also affected by the Covid-19 and they had suffered mental effects.
Last year, Cambridge International canceled exams to be held in the country in May and June at the Pakistani government’s request.
Students related to the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE), Lahore, demand the cancelation of matriculation and intermediate examination.
They demanded that Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mehmood cancel their exams because of schools’ closure and incomplete syllabus.
A BISE spokesperson said rumors were circulating on social media about the cancelation of the metric and intermediate examination as there was no change in the schedule.
Published in Dawn, April 6th, 2021
