Jacob Lines Examination Center of Girls Higher Secondary School in Karachi. PHOTO: JALAL QURESHI/ARCHIVE
KARACHI:
The third day of the annual matriculation exams was also marked by serious mismanagement, allegations of cheating and poor facilities, while a separate case was also registered over an alleged “paid cheating” exam centre.
Under Karachi Board of Secondary Education, biology papers for classes IX and Section 144 was applied in the examination centers to maintain order.
Despite visits by board chairman Ghulam Hussain Soho, reports of irregularities continued. At a center in Malir, students were allegedly allowed to cheat collectively using mobile phones, while at the Government Boys’ Secondary School, Kala Board, open cheating was reportedly left unchecked.
Power outages at several centers further aggravated the difficulties, forcing students to carry out work in extreme heat. In Lyari, students were seen sitting on mats due to shortage of desks and chairs, with no alternative arrangements made by the administration. A mother at a Kala Board center said she spends nearly Rs 14,000 per child on school fees along with additional fees for tuition and digital learning, but basic facilities are still lacking at the examination centres. Students also reported significant discomfort, with one ninth grader saying she had to complete her work on her lap due to broken furniture, making it difficult to fill out the OMR sheet and raising concerns about it breaking.
Meanwhile, in a significant development, Shah Latif city police registered a case against an examination center run over allegations of facilitating cheating in exchange for money.
According to the FIR, registered on the complaint of an official of the Education Department in Bin Qasim town, the principal of a school, identified as teacher Hanif Malik, allegedly demanded Rs 5,000 per job from students and parents to facilitate cheating. The complaint further stated that the allegations arose after a video was broadcast on a private television channel. Following the report, board chairman Ghulam Hussain blacklisted the center and ordered its closure.
