KARACHI, July 29: Around 9,200 women candidates appeared in the written tests for primary schoolteachers’ vacancies held at the NED University of Engineering and Technology on Sunday.

According to officials, more than 95 per cent candidates attempted the 90-minute multiple choice questionnaire designed by the Institute of Business Administration, Sukkur. With good arrangements at hand, no untoward incident took place and the event remained peaceful.

The candidates who had forgotten to bring along the admit cards were not returned as the test organizers facilitating through the computerized data allowed them to take the exam. Relatives of the candidates were asked to stay outside the university premises till the test concluded.

Around 264 invigilators, provided by the Pakistan Cadet College, supervised the test which was part of similar tests being conducted in all 23 districts of Sindh. Four thousand male candidates have already appeared in the test last week in Karachi.

The officials said the candidates with intermediate as their minimum qualification were eligible to appear in the test for the posts of primary school teacher. However, they said, the holders of primary teachers’ certificate would be given preference both in selection and grade. For instance, if the selected candidates were offered job in Grade-7 the certificate holder would get job in Grade-9.

Around 126,000 candidates have applied for some 9,100 vacancies of primary teachers in the province. The selected candidates would be offered a three-year contract, the officials said.

Traffic congestion was witnessed on the University Road when thousands of candidates finished the test and came out.The authorities took 14 years to open the doors for jobs in the education department by lifting the ban on recruitment.

Previously, the written tests for the primary school teachers were conducted in 1993.