Dismal results in CSS exams shock senior education officials

Educationists have expressed their concern over the low percentage in the number of applicants passing the recent FPSC

ISLAMABAD: Educationists have expressed their concern over the low percentage in the number of applicants passing the recent competitive examinations of Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) and continuously falling standard of those appearing in the tests.

According to the details, out of total 9,391, only 312 or 3.32 per cent of the applicants could pass the Commission for Superior Services (CSS) exams 2018 with the pass percentage of 3.32 per cent.



The educationists believe that continuously falling standard of education is the core reason for the bleak outcome in the results of competitive examinations.

HEC former chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmed while talking to the media said the collapse of CSS system means the collapse of overall education system. It is necessary to refine, redevelop and improve the system of CSS as it produces civil service officers for the country, he added.

Dr Mukhtar said there is huge difference in the syllabus of CSS exams and universities, adding; the curriculum being taught in the universities needed to be fixed.

He said the whole curriculum of CSS should be changed according to demands of modern times to address the flaws and errors in our education system.

In the past, former chairman of HEC said, that students had to focus on grammar skills, handwriting skills and rote learning; whereas now they are tested for their competence in understanding concepts, general knowledge, critical thinking and intelligence quotient.

“Now students' demands are different so we need to tackle their issues accordingly,” he added.



As chairman, Mukhtar said he brought policy changes and shared them with Federal public Service Commission to improve the procedure.

When contacted, member FPSC Farooq Ahmed claimed that this year the results of exams were better as compared to the year 2017.

He said that there would be no compromise on quality. FPSC, he said alone cannot improve the applicants' capability and it should be done at the university level. Some private universities' curriculum was not up to the mark and damaged the chances of students' eligibility, Farooq Ahmad lamented. He told that a meeting was held recently between FPSC and HEC in which it was decided to constitute a committee to scrutinise the curriculum of all universities.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 8^th, 2018.