DERA ISMAIL KHAN/SWABI: Students of various educational institutions in Dera Ismail Khan and Swabi on Friday held protest demonstrations against the respective Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) for what they called ‘favouritism’ in the results of matric and intermediate examinations.

In Dera Ismail Khan, the students carrying placards and banners inscribed with slogans against the board administration held a protest rally from the State Life Building to Haq Nawaz Park.

Addressing the protest rally at Topanwala Chowk, the speakers alleged that the BISE officials had altered the results and passed their favourite candidates with distinction.

They claimed that the students who were not recommended were deprived of their positions by cutting their marks. The protesting students demanded review and recompilation of the board results.

In Swabi, the students and teachers of various private schools and colleges on Friday staged a demonstration against the record high marks obtained by certain students in the Secondary School Certificate and Higher Secondary School Certificate examinations conducted by the BISE, Mardan.

Students of Quaid-i-Azam School and College also participated in the protest held at Karnal Sher Khan Chowk.The protesters were holding placards and banners inscribed with various slogans against the board.

On this occasion, the speakers also alleged favouritism in the exams and said certain students were given high marks while others were deprived of their positions. They questioned how it was possible for a candidate to get full marks in a paper and termed it a mockery of the examination system.

They demanded that a judicial inquiry should be conducted into the results, saying the credibility of the board examinations was at stake.

Our Lakki Marwat correspondent reported that the BISE, Bannu, has constituted a six-member committee to look into the students’ allegation of unfair paper marking in the recent matric and intermediate examinations. The students had earlier protested over low marks, saying they won’t be able to get admission in quality educational institutions.

Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2021