Nearly 400,000 students appear as complaints of overcrowding, power outages and cheating
Jacob Lines Examination Center of Girls Higher Secondary School in Karachi. PHOTO: JALAL QURESHI/ARCHIVE
KARACHI:
The annual examinations for classes IX and
The examinations were conducted in two shifts under strict security measures, while 51 surveillance teams were deployed to curb cheating. According to the BSEK, paper distribution was monitored through a control room and special measures were taken to ensure transparency, including monitoring through video calls and WhatsApp groups. Article 144 was also imposed regarding exam centers.
In the morning session, the students of Class Each article lasted three hours.
However, complaints of poor management and lack of facilities arose in several centres. Problems such as shortage of furniture, non-working fans and power outages were reported, forcing candidates to sit in difficult conditions. In some centers, students were reportedly forced to sit on mats due to inadequate seating arrangements.
At a public boys’ secondary school in Malir, students complained of extreme heat due to non-working fans, while power outages were also reported in several areas despite requests for uninterrupted power supply.
Allegations of irregularities also arose from different centers. At No. 1 Public Boys’ High School PECHS, multiple incidents of alleged cheating were reported, while during a search operation a student was found carrying a dagger along with cheating materials, raising serious concerns over security measures at examination centres.
On the occasion, BSEK President Ghulam Hussain Soho, while visiting a center at Pilot Girls Higher Secondary School, Nazimabad, stated that the exams were being held peacefully and the preparations were satisfactory. He said monitoring was being ensured through the control room and surveillance teams were actively working at all the centres.
However, he acknowledged problems such as the limited availability of centers in public schools and a shortage of furniture, although he maintained that all centers had basic services, such as electricity and water.
However, Director Secondary Education Mirza Arshad Baig disagreed with the board’s stand and stated that the exam centers are finalized after field verification by the board teams. He said that in several cases students were accommodated beyond their capacity, and in some centers designed for 200 students up to 400 candidates were allocated, causing administrative difficulties.
The Sindh Private Schools and Colleges Association also expressed serious concerns over last-minute center allocation, software glitches and problems in the exam registration system, calling them a source of mental stress for students. The association also said that overcrowding in smaller centers could facilitate cheating and reflect poor planning by authorities.
Meanwhile, students and teachers demanded better arrangements, citing poor infrastructure and lack of basic facilities in several centres.
Despite official claims of smooth conduct, the first day of the matric exams was marked by accusations of mismanagement, infrastructure deficiencies and security lapses, raising questions about the preparedness of the exam system.
