Dozens of Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) students and their parents staged a protest against A and O Levels results on Saturday, demanding a review of what they termed "unjust grading."
The disgruntled protesters shouted slogans such as 'grade ko izzat do' (respect the grades) and 'we want fair grades' and held banners.
CAIE announced its results on August 11, using an evidence-based grading system in the absence of exams amid the coronavirus pandemic. A total of 950,000 students from 139 countries opted to obtain their results through CAIE's grade prediction method for the May/June session.
However, students - both in Pakistan and abroad - have been unsatisfied with their results, claiming their grades did not match what their teachers had submitted to the board.
Claiming they had been downgraded, the protesters said they were raising their voices against CAIE's "unjust" grading system.
"The grades this year have left us devastated," said one of the protesters. "The expected A grades have been changed into C and D grades, which is like dropping from 90 per cent to below 50 per cent. This has sabotaged our future as our chances of getting into a good university have shrunk."
Others added that the A Level results of pre-medical students had dropped to such an extent that they could not even attempt a test through the National Testing Service.
The students demanded that their grades be reviewed, adding that if their grades could not be changed then universities should revisit their admission policies. They further said the federal government should intervene to resolve the issue, warning that they would otherwise extend the protest.
Meanwhile, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan MPA Aslam Khursheed and MNA Usama Qadri attended the protest and assured they would highlight the issue in the Sindh Assembly.
When the results had initially been announced, students and parents had taken to Twitter, complaining about the grades and demanding CAIE and the government take action.
Following the outcry, Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mehmood had stated the CAIE had agreed to review its grading procedure. "It will announce its final verdict after a review on Tuesday [August 18]," he tweeted on Friday.
According to a CAIE statement, meanwhile, it was hearing the feedback and suggestions from schools and students, and was considering the best course of action.
*With additional information from DNA
Published in The Express Tribune, August 16th, 2020.
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