Cash-strapped state to sponsor IBCC's study tour to UK

Trip comes at a time when boards have stopped extracurricular activities for want of funds

KARACHI:

The chairpersons of public educational boards across the country, including Sindh, have decided to visit the United Kingdom. All the expenses of the trip will be borne by the government.

The arrangements for the trip are being made by the federal government agency Inter-Board Coordination Commission (IBCC), which finalised the formal planning in this regard.

Following this, letters were issued to all the chairpersons of educational boards across the country, instructing them to deposit Rs1 million each into a specific IBCC account. This visit is expected to take place at the end of October this year and is ostensibly being referred to as 'study tour'.

It is noteworthy that this trip comes at a time when the Sindh government's Department of Universities and Boards has mandated all educational boards in the province to suspend all extracurricular activities in light of the current economic conditions. If any extracurricular activity is deemed absolutely necessary, prior approval must be obtained from the department. Following this directive from the department, educational boards in Sindh have halted extracurricular activities.

However, it is noteworthy that due to financial deficits or mismanagement, co-curricular activities for students are being suspended on one hand, while on the other, the chairpersons are planning overseas trips utilising the income generated from student fees. Some educational boards have already deposited funds into the relevant IBCC account, and others are in the process of following the suit.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Muhammad Usman Khan, the Director of Qualifications and International Linkages at IBCC, stated, "IBCC will not cover the expenses of this trip; rather, all chairpersons have been asked to provide these funds personally." However, when asked about the letter issued by IBCC, which mentioned that each board should deposit Rs1 million and did not mention any individual, he replied that a previous letter had been issued that addressed individuals. He further mentioned that this is an exchange programme aimed at understanding the educational board system in England. "Therefore, if the relevant provincial governments grant NOCs to the chairpersons and the respective BOG allows the expenses, IBCC will not object, but we are not spending any funds on it."

In this regard, the letter, sent by IBCC to the chairpersons of educational boards, states that the purpose of this study tour is to review the current examination practices of prominent UK examination boards, including AQA, CIE, Pearson, City and Guilds, and NUCK, so that these practices can be incorporated into Pakistan's operational framework. I

Sources in the federal government told The Express Tribune that IBCC has opened a separate account under the name IBCC Project Fund in a private bank, replacing its traditional account, and the legal validity of this account is questionable.

Additionally, it has been revealed that some educational boards in Sindh have raised objections regarding the chairpersons' trips at government expense, viewing it critically.