'Parents should stop their kids from using unfair means in exams'

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has decided to write an open letter to the parents whose children are going to appear in the forthcoming matriculation and intermediate examinations to stop their children from using unfair means in the examinations.

“This is our collective responsibility to stop our future generation from taking little and immediate benefit by causing huge damage to their future,” he said while presiding over a meeting to evolve in a strategy for taking preventive measures against using unfair means in the forthcoming examinations.

The meeting was attended by Minister Education Jam Mehtab Dahar, Chief Secretary Rizwan Memon, Principal Secretary Naveed Kamran Balcoh, Secretary Education Aziz Uqaili, chairmen of all the educational boards and other concerned officers.

The chief minister said that this is not only the responsibility of the government but the educational boards, examiners, invigilators and parents as well to make a commitment not to allow anyone using unfair means in the examinations.

“Instead of generating ill-educated army of youngsters we should produce a few but genuinely educated children who can compete in the market, local and international, and glorify the name of their teachers, schools, parents and the country,” he said.

Secretary universities & boards Naveed Shaikh briefing the chief minister said that there are seven boards of education in Sindh which include Board of Intermediate & Secondary Education (BISE) Larkana, BISE Sukkur, BISE Shaheed Benazirabad, Board of Secondary education (BSE) Karachi, Board of Intermediate education (BIE) Karachi, BISE Hyderabad and BISE Mirpurkhas.

He said that the SSC examinations are starting throughout Sindh from March 28, 2017 and ending April 8, 2017. HSE examinations are starting from April 28 and ending on May 15.

He said that 685,672 candidates would appear in IX and X examination while 504,907 in XI & XII examination.

Shaikh added that for the examination of class IX and Xth 330 centers have been set up in Karachi, 227 in Hyderabad, 211 in Sukkur, 135 in Larkana and 128 in Mirpurkhas. Similarly 112 centers for clas XI and XII examination 112 centers have been set up in Karachi, 120 in Hyderabad, 110 in Sukkur, 91 in Larkana and 6 in Mirpurkhas.

The chief minister was told that in Board of Intermediate Karachi 212,427 students, including 99,660 boys and 112,767 girls would appear in examination starting from March 25. Out of 212,427 students, 1,587 are private and 87,480 government candidates for class XI class while for class XII the private candidates would be 17,204 and government 91,868.

The board has set up 112 centers in the morning shift and 100 in the evening. Of them 29 have been declared sensitive in the morning shift and 26 in the evening shift.

The chief minister directed the chief secretary to take necessary measures at the examination centers. Mobile phones must be banned and jammers be installed in the vicinity to jam mobile phone signals. The photo copier machines and the facilitators of the candidates must be banned during the examinations.

He said that in case any question paper is leaked he would hold the concerned board responsible and take strict action. “I would suggest you to keep your system foolproof so that proper and in time distribution of the papers could be ensured,” he said.

Syed Murad Ali Shah said that in case any internal or external or invigilator are found involved in allowing unfair means in the examination he would terminate them.

“I am telling you I would sign their termination letter and then let them go to the court of law,” he said and directed all the chairmen of the boards to send him the list of internal and external and supervisors along with their contact numbers so that he or his secretariat could coordinate with them.

The chief minister directed the chief secretary to coordinate with K-Electric, Hesco and SESCO not to resort to load-shedding during examinations. “I would suggest you to reduce load-shedding hour even at night so that students could make proper preparation of their examinations.

Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah taking an unprecedented move decided to write an open letter to parents in English, Urdu and Sindhi and publish the same in leading newspapers and upload on social media to urge the parents to educate their children not to use unfair means in the examination.

The chief minister also directed all the chairmen of the boards to conduct an study to remove problems, anomalies from the examination and make it more easier, transparent and fool-proof.

“I am also working on the capacity building of teachers and improving the curriculum according to the latest requirements and start modern methods of teachings in the schools and following by launching new methods of examinations,” he said and added that the issue is being taken squarely so that genuinely educated generations could be produced.