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Exams test nerves of students

Furniture, fans missing at many schools

Ayesha Khan Ansari May 10, 2023

Girls sit on a rug to solve a paper during matric exams at a government schools which did not have enough seats for all of the candidates. Photo: express

KARACHI:

On the second annual paper of class IX and X exams under Board of Secondary Education Karachi (BSEK) complaints of lack of furnitutre, late resumption of papers and power outages were rife.

According to a survey conducted by The Express Tribune, basic facilities were unavailable in Government Girls Secondary School No1 Jacob Lines. Beside from 622 girl students, the board also sent 100 additional students to the same center who kept searching classrooms till 3pm. At least 722 female students of the afternoon shift conducted paper in poor condition, shabby furniture and poor lighting. Due to the lack of furniture in some classes, the students sat the paper on rugs spread on floor.

School Principal Madam Rukhsana blamed BSEK for the mismanagement. She said that the furniture was delivered after the examination started yesterday.

The school also requested the board to provide fans. The ones installed in the school were damaged due to short circuit during last year's rains.

Madam Rukhsana said the board has 100 additional female students whose roll numbers were not with the school causing space issues.

BSEK Controller of Secondary Education Habibullah Suhag told The Express Tribune that a night before the first paper, more than 25 schools refused to set up examination centers.

Faryal Zahra, a student of the ninth grade, told The Express Tribune before the exam that in this intense heat, there is only one fan installed in classroom, which is insufficient in this heat, besides it, there is no proper lighting, while the furniture is in poor condition. She said that the paper has not been started till half past two. She said that first it is difficult to find the center, then the roll number and now student have to face these difficulties, who is responsible for this?

Sana, a student of the ninth grade, said there are no fans in the student classroom. She said that they were dousing their duppattas in water to keep their heads cool during exams.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 10^th, 2023.