KARACHI: Just like Wednesday, the British Council, responsible for holding examinations including the Cambridge O and A level exams and University of London exams in Pakistan, has cancelled all exams scheduled for Thursday (today) morning and afternoon in view of the developing security situation in the country.

The cancellation caused happiness as well as grief to many candidates. Several students took to social media and said that they would love it for such cancellations to happen for the entire week.

Since Cambridge International has said that they will give marks for the papers cancelled on the basis of another paper of the same subject given earlier, some students were also worried that they had not done too well on the other paper and were hoping to make up for that in the other paper.

“Our grades will be affected badly,” pointed out one student.

Some worry that their grades will be affected if marks awarded on the basis of other papers

So upset was an O level student whose chemistry paper was cancelled, that he suggested on social media to his friends that they storm the British Council and solve the paper forcefully.

One parent said that her daughter had worked very hard the entire year but both her major science subjects’ papers got cancelled. Another parent said that that it would affect a student’s future, especially if science or medicine were her major career goals.

One student said that she didn’t even celebrate Eid as she was studying hard for her exams.

“We are working here day and night for a bright future and here we were just engulfed by darkness because of the ‘situation’ in our country,” said one student.

Several others were considering appearing in October/November. “But that would mean paying through our noses again,” said one mother.

There are also some students who have a scholarship to see them through their A levels in college, which requires 100 per cent results. They were worried that grades being awarded on the basis on their first paper may affect their scholarship.

Many students were thinking that maybe the paper was not cancelled but postponed because they had heard that the IELTS would be rescheduled by the British Council. But they had to be jolted out of there misconception.

And with all this happening, some students were still in denial, wondering that maybe the British Council’s notification about cancellation of papers was fake. But there was, in fact, some fake news, too, about all exams cancelled till June 1. The cancellations were happening only after examining the situation on a day-to-day basis.

Sindh govt warns private schools

Meanwhile, the School Education and Literacy Department of the Directorate of Inspection and Registration of Private Institutions, Sindh has warned all principals and administrations of privately-managed schools to keep their schools open as usual.

“The institutions found closed on their own accord will see strict action taken against them and their registration shall be canceled immediately,” the letter said.

Published in Dawn, May 11th, 2023