Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood has iterated that class nine to 12 board examinations would be carried out across the country in accordance with the schedules advised by the boards.
Mahmood told reporters Saturday in Lahore that examinations were cancelled last year and that all pupils were finished. However, he added that this year, provincial ministers and all stakeholders determined that no examination would take place.
“A2 levels examinations have already been conducted and there will now be examinations for [classes] 9, 10, 11, 12 over the next few days. I say to pupils that your studies will continue since examinations will not be either postponed or terminated.”
He warned the students who were planning to study further that “it won’t happen” for those pupils who hoped that the examinations would be cancelled.
“This is our provinces and stakeholders’ united decision. Examinations would be carried out on the basis of the schedules of the boards, “He emphasised. He stressed.
The Minister of Education encouraged pupils not to believe in rumours, noting that there were 29 school boards, each having a timetable with tests at certain dates.
With respect to a query on summer holidays, Mahmood said the provincial governments were responsible for deciding whether or not they would go on holidays. “These are not typical situations, and in these conditions, whatever the provinces decide, it’s right,” he added.
The Minister stated that education was ‘badly damaged due to the closing of schools and added: ‘To keep schools open as much as possible because of the weather and because of the circumstances around the coronavirus.
“The lessons can not be done anyplace else in schools. Many courses need to be covered and the shortcomings solved. This is why we have given provinces and private schools the responsibility to operate as they see fit, “He added.
The Minister’s remarks came days after hundreds of students protested in Islamabad before the Higher Education Commission (HEC), demanding that the secondary school certificate (SSC) and high school certificate (HSSC) tests be cancelled.
The protestors sang chants against the administration and called for physical examinations to be cancelled. They have stated that the examinations have been taught online during the whole epidemic and that it was not properly prepared.
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