GILGIT: The Gilgit-Baltistan government has initiated action against over 50 teachers and education department officers for poor performance in the Secondary School Certificate (SSC-I) 2024 results.

These actions have been taken in response to the underperformance of government schools in the region.

According to a notification issued under the orders of the GB chief secretary, disciplinary measures have been carried out against 25 headmasters, principals, and teachers across government schools in Gilgit-Baltistan due to the poor results of the SSC-I 2024 exams. The actions were taken in accordance with Rule-6(3) of the Gilgit-Baltistan Civil Servants Efficiency and Disciplinary (E&D) Rules, 2011.

The penalties imposed include both major and minor sanctions. Major penalties involve demotions in grade, forced retirements, and a two-grade demotion for one officer. Minor penalties include suspension of increments, issuance of show-cause notices, and official reprimands.

According to sources, actions have been taken against over 50 individuals, ranging from grade 16 to grade 19. The results, announced in the first week of February, revealed that only 41 per cent of Grade 5 students passed the exam, while the passing rate for Grade 8 was 29pc. In contrast, the SSC-I result in 2024 had a passing rate of 61pc.

The poor performance has sparked protests across Gilgit-Baltistan.

In light of the disappointing results, a high-level delegation from the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training is conducting a comprehensive assessment of the education system in Gilgit-Baltistan.

The delegation includes subject experts, assessment specialists, and education professionals, tasked with evaluating the strengths of the system and identifying areas that need improvement, particularly in curriculum implementation, early childhood education, teacher training, and assessment methodologies.

As part of this evaluation, the delegation has conducted field visits to schools across the Gilgit division and Diamer district. They have engaged with students, teachers, and local communities to gather firsthand insights into the challenges facing the education sector.

Furthermore, experts from the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE), as part of the federal team, visited the Board of Elementary Examination Gilgit-Baltistan to review the current and past assessment practices in light of the recent examination results.

Published in Dawn, February 20th, 2025