KARACHI, Feb 27: The Board of Secondary Education Karachi (BSEK) has made preparations for holding the class IX exams separately in April this year in case it receives a go ahead signal in this respect from the authorities concerned.

This was stated by the chairman of BSEK, Brig (retd) Shafiullah Qureshi. “We have not been given any notification in this respect”, he said here on Monday. Brig Qureshi pointed out that the governor was the controlling authority as far as the education boards in Sindh were concerned.

He was of the view that the governor wanted to favour the students.

In case the controlling authority decides to hold the 9th class exams separately then it would commence from April 18, it was pointed out.

Otherwise, the composite examinations of the 9th and 10th classes would be conducted in the year 2007, it was further stated.

Meanwhile, a group of students of 9th standard, held a joint news conference at the Karachi Press Club.

Speaking on the occasion, they opposed the decision of holding the composite exams of class IX and X from 2007.

“This is a non-serious decision and would result in increased percentage of failures”, they remarked.

The youngsters said that it would be difficult for the students to appear in the joint examinations of class IX and X in 2007.

They appealed to the controlling authority of the BSEK to order the holding of class IX and X examination separately.—APP