KHYBER: Over 250 girl students of the Government Degree College for Girls in Bara criticised the education board for setting up an examination centre for their intermediate exam in a distant area.

They told Dawn that the examination centre was set up in a private college in Bar Qambarkhel area, which stood over 15km away from their college in Alamgudar area.

The students argued that the board’s move could force many of them not to sit the exam due to the unavailability of transport.

They said that most of them had arranged private transport for coming to their own college, so it was not impossible to arrange separate vehicles for the Bar Qambarkhel area for a short period.

“Many families can’t even afford an alternate transport for their female members supposed to appear in the exam, so there is a high likelihood of these girls missing their exam,” said Saeedullah, one of the aggrieved parents.

He said the education department’s decision was a “no confidence” in one of its own educational institutions, which was established lately much to the delight of those who wanted to see their daughters get education.

When contacted, the Alamgudar girls college’s management expressed surprise over the decision and said its campus had an “exquisite” hall with all necessary facilities, including furniture, electricity, water and lavatories for girl students.

It said that 280 girl students would sit the intermediate exam, starting on May 7, with all of them seriously perturbed over the decision about their shifting of the examination centre to a private institution.

Residents have urged the education department, district administration and the commissioner to intervene for the relocation of the examination centre to the local college.

Published in Dawn, May 8th, 2025