KARACHI: Ziauddin University Chancellor and Pakistan Peoples Party leader Dr Asim Hussain has criticised the administration of the boards of secondary and intermediate education in Sindh and claimed that there was no merit system.

According to a press release, Dr Asim said this while speaking to a media briefing to share updates and insights about the latest developments at the Ziauddin University Examination Board (ZUEB) on Tuesday.

While his party had ruled the province for 15 years until August when a caretaker set-up took control to hold elections, Dr Asim continued: “Everyone knows that board chairmen and controllers are not appointed on merit,” he said He said that the introduction of ‘Practical Based Assessment’ (PBA) education system based on alternative to practical at matric and intermediate levels is a great achievement that would have been done about 50 years ago.

He said this while speaking at a media briefing to share updates and insights about the latest developments at the Ziauddin University Examination Board (ZUEB).

He unveiled transformative changes to the country’s examination system, emphasising the approval of three key suggestions by the Inter Board Chairman Commission (IBCC).

He said that the ZUEB had presented many proposals out of which three were approved by the IBCC.

“First of all, students can now choose from number of elective courses along with compulsory subjects. Secondly, there is a pending alteration in the grading system for SSC and HSSC, suggesting the abolition of ‘Fail’ grades and using ‘Unsatisfactory’ grades instead. Last but not least, preset multiple-choice questions (MCQs) are used in place of the customary practical exams. We are the first Board in Pakistan to adopt this system,” he said.

“The new grading scheme is based on 10-point scales and shall be implemented completely by all the examination boards of the country by the year 2025. Hence, all the public and private sector universities are directed to make necessary arrangements for evaluating merit for admission in the light of the approved grading formula of IBCC,” he stated.

Published in Dawn, November 16th, 2023