Officials work to resolve issues and give ratings within a week, based on controller exams
The results, announced last week, only indicated whether students passed or failed in individual subjects, without providing total or subject grades. PHOTO: ET
Karachi Board of Secondary Education is facing criticism for its “outdated and unprofessional practices” following the release of Class IX results for Science and General groups. More than 175,000 students are left in a state of confusion and distress as BSEK has not provided them with detailed mark sheets, leaving them unaware of their actual scores.
The results, announced last week, only indicated whether students passed or failed in individual subjects, without providing overall or subject grades. BSEK has stated that detailed mark sheets will not be available for at least two weeks, preventing students from calculating their overall percentage or rank.
This approach has drawn strong criticism from students, teachers and parents alike. This is in stark contrast to modern assessment systems, such as those of Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) and Punjab boards, which issue provisional mark sheets along with results, clearly showing both total and subject marks.
In an ironic twist, the announcement of the results coincided with a meeting of Karachi education boards to discuss the digitization of assessments, including the introduction of e-grading and a new grading system.
BSEK President Ghulam Hussain Saho attended the meeting, where discussions focused on the future of digital assessments. However, despite claims of progress towards e-grading and computer-based assessment, the board has failed to provide even the most basic digital transparency in publishing results.
BSEK sources revealed that IT manager Muhammad Irfan accompanied the president to Islamabad immediately after the results were published, leaving the newly hired IT analyst Sain Dad without proper authority or direction. Controller of examinations Hamza Tagar, who took up his post just three months ago, acknowledged systemic shortcomings.
talking to The express PAkGazetteTagar said: “We are aware of the issues and are working to resolve them. I have questioned IT staff and we are committed to ensuring that students can access their grades within a week.”
Educators have noted that this inefficiency reflects a broader problem of mismanagement within the board. Haider Ali, president of the Association of Private Schools and Colleges, expressed displeasure: “In Punjab, when the first year results are announced, students are immediately given provisional mark sheets with subject-wise details. Here, not only the marks are withheld, but even the total marks are not revealed; this is totally unjustifiable.”
Additional research by The express PAkGazette revealed that the mathematics papers for Class IX Science Group, which were initially meant to be evaluated through the e-marking system, were revised manually. Despite investing millions of rupees in printing answer sheets compatible with e-scoring, the board neither made necessary logistical arrangements nor outsourced the verification process. Consequently, the much-hyped e-grading initiative has collapsed, wasting considerable public funds and increasing student and parent frustration.
