HYDERABAD, March 9: The Government Secondary Teachers Association boycotted class IX and X annual examinations which started on Tuesday in Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Nawabshah, Badin, Khairpur, Naushahro Feroze, Shikarpur, Dadu, Thatta and other districts.
The Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education is holding the examinations in coordination with civil administrations of respective districts. Reports from Badin indicated that around 4,000 students could not appear in the examinations as eight centres remained closed for want of invigilators.
Civil administrations of districts arranged staff, including policemen, peons and government employees. In Hyderabad, private teachers, government officials as well as retired and primary teachers had been hired for the examinations.
Additional DPO Mujahid Akbar said GSTA leaders had held negotiations with DPO A. D. Khwaja and had assured him that they would not create hurdles in the conduct of examinations. However, the teachers said they would continue their boycott. Disturbances were also reported from other parts, including Tandojam where some teachers were taken into custody but soon released.
In New Saeedabad, Chuhar Jamali, Thatta, teachers tried to create trouble by removing stationery from centres. Teachers belonging to different associations observed separate token hunger strikes outside the Hyderabad Press Club.
Leaders of the associations criticized the Sindh education minister for what they called his anti-education and anti-teachers policies. The controller, BISE, Prof Hafeez Soomro, claimed that the examinations were held in a peaceful atmosphere at 269 examination centres. He said some teachers of the GSTA also performed their duties.
Meanwhile, the GSTA accused the police of harassing teachers. The association claimed that 70 per cent students had not appeared in the examinations and several teachers had been arrested.
SUKKUR: The examinations were held at 95 per cent of centres. Teachers entered some examination centres and snatched question papers.
The controller of examinations, BISE,Prof Abdul Qayoom Bhatti, said examinations in Gambat were conducted smoothly. He said teachers had tried to create trouble due to which the examinations started a little late.
He said in Ghotki high schools, examinations could not be conducted as no student turned up. Mr Bhatti said police had arrested four teachers in Pano Aqil who were trying to sabotage the process of the examinations.
BADIN: Reports of mismanagement, impersonation and cheating were received on the first day of the SSC examinations in the district.
Non-teaching staff, including clerks and Nazims, supervised the examinations. There was no official to prepare a list of candidates appearing in the examinations.
Out of 20 examination centres in the district, eight remained closed. Stationery was also found missing from many centres. In Shaheed Fazil Rahu, eight students were injured when police baton-charged students who condemned the mismanagement at the centres and supported teachers' demands.
The EDO, education, said 200 answer sheets and other examination material were missing from a centre. Teachers also staged a protest rally against education authorities. They demanded acceptance their 11-point charter of demands.
THATTA: Police arrested district GSTA president Zulfiqar, Qurban Brohi, Siraj Memon and others at an examination centre at the main primary school. Peons, Tapedars and other staff of the revenue department supervised the examinations.
KHAIRPUR: Police and school peons worked as invigilators in the BISE, Sukkur, examinations due to the boycott of the teachers.
Students of high schools of Pacca Chang and Bhango Behan, Faiz Ganju taluka, tore off question papers and took out a procession in support of teachers' demands. They staged a sit-in. Ten teachers also observed a token hunger strike at the Chatti Chowk.
DADU: Teachers of higher secondary and middle schools of Dadu, Khairpur Nathan Shah, Kotri, Sehwan, Thana Bula Khan, Johi and Mehar boycotted the examinations. Primary teachers also boycotted their classes. In Dadu town, teachers held a demonstration and observed a token hunger strike outside the press club.
NAUSHAHRO FEROZE: Teachers observed a token hunger strike outside the press club and boycotted the examinations.
SHIKARPUR: Secondary and primary teachers, on the call of the Mehran Elementary and Secondary Teachers Association, observed a token hunger strike at the Lakhi Gate. Earlier, the protesters took out a procession.
NAWABSHAH: The GSTA boycotted the SSC examinations which were supervised by non-teaching staff. Police and rangers had been deployed at different centres. The Sindh Professors and Lecturers Association also announced its support to the GSTA at a meeting held here on Tuesday.
MIRPURKHAS: Due to the boycott of teachers, the civil administration arranged clerical staff for holding the examinations. Office-bearers of the All Sindh Primary Teachers Association observed a token hunger strike outside the press club. People's Party Parliamentarians MPA Shamim Aara Panwhar visited the camp to express solidarity with the teachers.
SANGHAR: The SSC examinations were supervised by private school teachers and revenue staff due to the boycott of teachers. Some teachers were also detained for a while. Reports of copying were received from many centres.