Govt allows British Council to hold 'special' O Level exams

ISLAMABAD: Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mehmood announced on Thursday that the government has issued a no-objection certificate to British Council to hold “special” O Level exams across the country, ARY News reported.

Taking to Twitter, the federal education minister announced that British Council will hold special O Level exams from July 26 till August 6.

“We issued a NOC today to British Council allowing it to hold special O level exams from July 26 to August 6,” tweeted the minister.

We issued an NOC today to British Council allowing it to hold special O level exams from July 26 to August 6. This will facilitate O level students to start A level or FA/Fsc from September. This kind of exam in July is unprecedented and I am happy that Cambridge is arranging it pic.twitter.com/bYIikHAECD

— Shafqat Mahmood (@Shafqat_Mahmood) May 27, 2021

Shafqat Mahmood further said that the “move will facilitate O level students to start A level or FA/Fsc from September”.

“This kind of exam in July is unprecedented and I am happy that Cambridge is arranging it,” he added.

This pandemic has created immense difficulties in all walks of life but specially in education. We have been taking difficult decisions to ensure that education/ learning continues. Every decision has pros and cons but for us the interest/welfare of students is always paramount

— Shafqat Mahmood (@Shafqat_Mahmood) May 27, 2021

In another tweet, the education minister said that the Covid-19 pandemic has created immense difficulties in all walks of life but specially in education.

“We have been taking difficult decisions to ensure that education/ learning continues. Every decision has pros and cons but for us the interest/welfare of students is always paramount,” the minister tweeted.

It is to be mentioned here that the federal government on May 24 had announced to conduct examinations of all classes and had cleared that no student will be promoted to the next class without examinations this year.

The decision was taken in Inter-Provincial Education Ministers Conference (IPEMC) attended by all education ministers.

It was decided in the meeting that Board exams would begin after June 20.