Students solve papers under scorching sun

Many students were forced to take their exams outdoors in garbage without mats or proper seating arrangement as the unavailability of furniture at examination centres continues even on the sixth day of the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination in Karachi.

It was no surprise that the paper was widely shared on the social media, and many students were caught copying from each other. Moreover, some exam centres experienced power outages and damaged fans.

It has been reported that students at Anam Iqra Public Sec. School, Labour Square in Landhi were forced to take their exams in open air under scorching sun owing to the mismanagement and negligence of the Board of Secondary Education Karachi (BSEK). The examination centre failed to provide any shelter for the students, forcing them to sit on the hot ground and take their exam under open sky. Even a mat was not provided for the students to sit on.

Intense heat made difficult for students to solve paper under the scorching sun. Some had to use wet handkerchiefs or hold their hands on their heads to shield themselves from heat. Students sat on the mound of hot mud to solve their challenging Mathematics paper for class X. Students encounter painful experiences solving their exam paper in these miserable conditions.

Similar circumstances were observed at the Malir Saudabad No. 1 Govt Boys Sec. School, Government Boys Secondary School, Jacob Lines and Government Boys Lyari No.1 School where students were forced to take exam without desks and fans. There were power outages during the exams, and the fans were not working properly.

To worsen the situation, matriculation examination paper went viral on social media as the norm. By 9 am, question paper went viral on social media with answers. Copying mafia took advantage of the situation and began sharing it. However, the board was openly challenged in the WhatsApp group. Media entry was banned in several examination centres but allowed later.

Conversely, students cheated from their mobile phones at Ibrahim Ali Bhai School. Recently, it was uncovered that some people found to be involved in cheating at the school.

The cheating mafia walks freely in many exam centres, set up in private schools of the city. Yesterday, a private school in Bhattai Colony was accused of charging Rs. 5,000 per student for assistance in cheating. When vigilance team arrived at the school to investigate, the school owner refused to let him enter the premises. Earlier at the same examination center, parents had alleged that the school owner, Muhammad Lashkar, would seat students who paid money in a separate room and provide them with solved exam papers, while those who did not pay were subjected to strict scrutiny. Even education department officer was not allowed to enter the school as Lashkar resisted his entry.

The examination centre at Anjuman Islamia, Liaquatabad No. 10, also displayed negligence, as the Centre Superintendent was absent without notice who was suspended by the Director of Schools, Yar Muhammad Baladi.

Furthermore, many examination centres lack police presence. The Science Group 10th Mathematics paper was taken in the morning shift while in afternoon, students from general group appeared for English compulsory exam for class IX.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 14^th, 2024.