MIANWALI, Jan 13: Three students who were participating in the chief minister’s essay writing and speech contest from Mianwali could not compete at the division level despite qualifying for this stage because of education officials’ failure in informing them about the change in schedule.

Iffat Niazi of Mianwali’s Tameer-i-Millat School, Sheeza Khan of Model Girls High School and another student won English debate contests at tehsil and district levels and qualified for the division level contests, but could not compete at the division level because of the unilateral change in the schedule of their speeches.

According to the original schedule, the division level competition was to take place at Sargodha’s Government College for Women on Jan 12. When the three contestants from Mianwali district reached the venue on the given date, they were told by the college principal that the schedule for the speech contest was changed by the authorities and the contest was organised two days earlier on Jan 10 instead on Jan 12.

Tameer-e-Millat School Principal Prof Sarwar Niazi told Dawn that he was not informed about the change in the schedule for Iffat’s speech. He said now Iffat should be given a chance to compete at the provincial level because she suffered for what she was not responsible. He said the authorities must hold an enquiry to find who was responsible for this communication gap.

Speech and debate contest coordinator Sheikh Muhammad Anwar, who is also a research officer with the Sargodha Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, said the board sent the amended schedule to all executive district officers (education), including the one in Mianwali, and they were duty bound to inform the contestants about the new schedule well in time.

However, Mianwali EDO (Education) Said Rasool, who is also coordinator for this programme at the district level, said he did not receive any amended schedule from the board. He said he had still not been informed about topics, dates and venue for the provincial level contests.