K-P to hold exams for grade improvement

PESHAWAR:

The provincial government has decided to hold supplementary exams for matric and intermediate students after the recent results invited widespread criticism as well as protest demonstrations.

An official of the Elementary and Secondary Education Department told The Express Tribune that due to the high marks, the merit list in colleges and universities was unusually higher and because of it those students who had been cleared by giving 33 per cent marks were unable to get admissions in any college or university.

“This has forced the government to hold a special exams for those who want to improve their grades and this will be called the supplementary exam,” he said, adding that the chairmen of all the eight education boards in the province have submitted their recommendations in this regard.

“It is a known fact that the results of the education boards are unusually higher. How can a student get 100 per cent marks like 1,100 out of 1,100 and this matter has turned into a joke on the social media because schools and colleges were closed for the past one year and every one was expecting extremely bad grades from the students,” the official said, adding that the provincial government itself is not happy with the results and many people in the government think that boards had given higher marks just to highlight their performance.

Government has already formed an eight-member committee to recheck the papers of those students who secured 1,090 or above marks.

“The papers of all position holders are rechecked. It is very difficult to believe that a student will get 100 per cent marks in arts subjects like Urdu, English or Pakistan Studies etc,” he said.

Parents and students who got bad grades are also protesting and criticising the results. The government has decided to hold the exams immodestly and this is also the recommendation of the boards as the number of those students who secured just passing 33 per cent marks stand at 59,220 in intermediate.

Similarly, students with 40 per cent marks numbered around 15,000.