Under the open sky: Boys, girls sit in the same exam centres

For the first time in Lower Orakzai, 400 male and female candidates appeared for their exams together.

HANGU:

In a first, 400 boys and girls from Lower Orakzai Agency’s Jhalaka Mela area were allowed to give their SSC examinations together, sitting under the sun in a school’s playground.

The exams are being conducted by the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Kohat. They have arranged four examination centres for the students of the agency, including the ground in Jhalaka Mela. The other centres, which are indoor locations, include Kalaya, Koraiz and Mashti Bazaar.



An official from the political administration said nearly 800 students are sitting for their exams in Koraiz, 600 are present in Kalaya, 300 in Mashti Bazaar and 400 students are enjoying the cool winds as they write their final answers in Jhalaka Mela. According to the official, this was the first time male and female candidates were giving their exams in the same halls.

He added they had received several complaints from parents about the lack of examiners and invigilators appointed by the board in the agency.

Explaining why the candidates of ninth and tenth  grades had to give their exams sitting on the ground, he said, there was no hall or appropriate space at the school. He added they could not provide the students any protection from the heavy rain or scorching sun.

Malik Habibullah, a tribal elder, said the exam centres in Lower Orakzai did not have sufficient number of staff and invigilators.

An elder of Mashti Mela, Malik Mehrdad, said this was the first time male and female candidates were attempting to give their exams at the same centres and under the open sky. He added that many times the invigilators were absent yet they still got paid. The elder said they had complained to the political administration and officials of the education department, but so far nothing had been done.

Ninth grader Muhammad Irfan said he had to walk 10 miles from his hometown to appear for the exam in Jhalaka Mela. “I tried to go the distance but it was boiling outside and the rough wind ruins the paper,” he said. “The heat, sweat and wind are very distracting.”

Alam Khan, another candidate, said he gave the exam sitting under an umbrella when it rained. Holding the umbrella and attempting to write a paper was a difficult job, he added.

For Kifayatullah, giving an exam on the grounds was disgusting as insects crawled up his legs. He added that being around girls also made him and other boys nervous.

Lal Zada, the agency’s education officer, said militants had destroyed nearly 125 schools in the agency. He added that the unavailability of funds, limited resources and lack of school buildings are what forced them to use the ground as an examination centre.

According to the education officer, they did not want the students to waste their academic year and that is why they had tried to ensure the exams were held.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 28^th, 2014.