KARACHI, July 10: Tens of thousands of students of Sindh’s four boards of examination are anxiously waiting for the governor’s formal approval of two per cent grace marks for this year’s candidates ahead of the formal announcement of the examination results, Dawn has learnt.

Sources said the Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana and Mirpurkhas boards of examination have complied the results of this year’s matriculation examinations but cannot announce them until Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad, the controlling authority of the Sindh boards of examination, approves an across-the-board grant of two per cent grace marks.

Reportedly, an estimated 300,000 students took their matriculation examinations under the four boards and await the results which are traditionally announced by early July every year.

On June 29, the heads of all the boards recommended that students who were affected by the recent power crises and storms should be compensated in their examination results. The governor had earlier announced that the government would consider this move and had directed board authorities to devise suitable mechanisms.

Officials said that the award of grace marks was just one of the suggestions made in this context, all of which had been considered at a meeting of the Sindh boards of examination held in Larkana last month.

“We hope that a formal approval from the controlling authority is forthcoming so that no further delays occur,” commented an official.

Reportedly, some senior officials are critical of the extended schedule for secondary and higher secondary school examinations, which were introduced a couple of years ago by the department of education which extended the start of the academic session from April to August every year.

“Scheduling the exams in the hottest months of the year has caused difficulties because the city braces itself against the rains, while the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation’s fragile network breaks down repeatedly,” said an official.

“Candidates find it very difficult to prepare for their exams.”

This year’s power crisis has been the worst to ever hit Karachi, and students prepared for SSC and HSSC examinations during black-outs that lasted up to 12 hours. At the examination centres, they were impeded by the extremely hot and humid weather.