Intermediate Board suffers at the hands of new parent body

The outgoing provincial caretaker government’s move to hand over control of the Board of Intermediate Education Karachi to the Commissioner Karachi is slowly turning into a nightmare, much to the detriment of students.

Previously, exam and registration fees were abolished for students attending government schools in Sindh to ensure free and compulsory education. However, ever since the Intermediate Board has come under the control of the Karachi Commissioner’s Office, students that were exempt now have to pay fees, under the guise of late charges.

In this regard, the Board issued a notification towards the end of last month, as per which enrollment forms for 1st Year Intermediate Annual examinations for the current year would be entertained with a Rs 1,000 penalty. It is pertinent to mention that penalty fees or late charges are only incurred when a student has failed to submit the requisite forms according to the given timeline. However, as per various principals of government colleges and government higher secondary schools in Karachi, the Board has mandated them to collect penalty fees or late charges starting February 1st.

A college principal, who spoke to The Express Tribune under the condition of anonymity, stated that this was the first time in over 8 years that the Board had mandated that government colleges charge their students Rs 1,000 in late fees. “Previously, every year the Board would give a date for submission of enrollments at least 3 times but this time around we have instructed to charge students a penalty fee,” he informed.

Another principal, confirming the directives, said that previously the Board did not operate in such a manner.

Read First-year intermediate students to get 15pc grace marks, says notification

In light of these revelations, The Express Tribune spoke to the Board’s acting Secretary, Haroon Rasheed. “The enrollment forms date has already been announced 3 times. Students who do not submit the forms on time are charged the late fees,” he clarified. When asked as to why new candidates were being charged the late fees as well, Rasheed said that this was not new. “Late fees were charged last year as well, we have a notification in this regard.”

Apart from the penalty fees issue, the administrative control of the Board has also suffered ever since its reigns were handed over to the Commissioner Karachi. The Express Tribune was told by sources familiar with the matter that the Commissioner Karachi was handed responsibility of the Board in December of 2023, following the removal of the Chairman of the Board in November of 2023; since then the Commissioner Karachi has visited the Board only a handful of times.

When The Express Tribune asked the Commissioner Karachi, Sohail Rajput, about his apparent inattentiveness to the affairs of the Board, he brushed off the matter. “This is the era of WhatsApp and Zoom. One does not need to physically visit an institute because it can be run through virtual meetings,” claimed Rajput while talking to The Express Tribune.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 23^rd, 2024.