K-P to have centralized Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education
The meeting was attended by all provincial education ministers as well as different secretaries via video link. PHOTO: APP
The provincial government has decided to establish one centralized Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) which will be responsible for taking all exams in the province.
Talking to newsmen Education Minister Shahram Tarakai said that a decision has been taken to establish a centralized board with its branches in each district of the province and the proposal will be presented before the cabinet for approval soon.
He said that the concept of a centralized board is working well in Islamabad and it could be replicated in K-P too.
“Due to Covid-19 around 19 per cent children didn’t secure passing marks. Those who got just passing marks are also facing difficulties in university admissions,” he said, adding that the fact-finding committee had not been formed to re-check the papers of those students who got 1100 marks out of 1100.
“On the contrary, the basic aim of the fact-finding committee is to reconsider the examination format and method. There is no question of reducing the marks of any student as they got higher marks under a formula introduced by the government,” he explained, adding that the recruitment of teachers through NTS is pending because the case had been in the court.
“Once a court verdict is delivered then the recruitment would be made. Around 23,000 teachers would be recruited,” he informed reporters, saying that the government was in favour of completing the process as soon as possible.
“Around 115 schools in the province have started second shift and it would be introduced in 180 more schools soon. Around 3,000 students have enrolled in these second shift schools so far,” said the minister, adding that there were 55 such students in these schools who work in the morning and come to school in the second shift.
“We are providing furniture worth Rs3 billion to schools this year. We are eliminating the mattress system in the schools,” the minister claimed, adding that around 95 per cent students will be able to use a chair and table in schools soon.
Regarding education boards, Tarakai said that the Elementary and Secondary Education Board Peshawar was established in 1960 and then in 2005 the then Governor Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah, on the recommendation of the provincial government, approved the establishment of Bannu, Abbotabad, Mardan, Kohat, Swat, DI Khan and Malakand boards.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 14th, 2021.