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BSE exams begin peacefully

RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: Final examinations of class IX and Class X Science Group of the Board of Secondary Education began on Thursday in a peaceful and disciplined manner without police protection for the first time in the history of board's examinations in Karachi. Military men were also not in sight at the centres.

A survey of examination centres in Gulshan-e-Iqbal area revealed that elaborate arrangements were made by the board to allow the students take the examination in a conducive atmosphere, free from harassment of both the examinees and the examiners.

It was for the first time after so may years that no police guards were deputed on the examination centres and this fact was a big relief for the parents who had the bitter experience of the past incidents of intimidation and coercion at the centres.

Mumtaz Baig, Administrator of Greenland Public School in Gulshan-e-Iqbal's Block 2, told Business Recorder that the board had set up a branch office in Ali Ali School for the delivery of question papers which are delivered at the examination centres only 15 minutes before the start of the examination. Similarly, after the examination is over, the answer books were immediately carried to the board office.

In addition to the strict measures taken by the centres management to stop instances of cheating, inspection teams of the board regularly visited the centres to supervise the examination.

The Principal of B.J. Public High School near Nipa, Mrs. Arifa, told Business Recorder that the school was examination centre for over 700 students of both the General and Science groups. She expressed satisfaction over arrangements made by the board.

The board this year imposed Rs. 60 as registration fee for all students of class IX appearing in the examination. This is in addition to Rs. 295 charged as examination fee from the students. The examination fee charged from matric students this year is Rs. 385 and Rs. 445 from students repeating examination in any subject.

The parents have resented the new levy as registration fee and said that since the students appearing in the board's examination were enrolled in schools duly recognised by the board there was no justification in levying the registration fee.