BIEK crisis imperils students' future

Board chairman removed during final stages of result preparations

KARACHI:

An administrative crisis at the Board of Intermediate Education (BIEK) has once again put the future of thousands of students at risk.

The board chairman was removed during the critical final stages of result preparation, raising doubts about the timely announcement of the Grade-XI and XII exam results.

According to educational experts, the results are almost complete and may still be announced despite the absence of a chairman. However, the uncertainty looms large.

While speaking to The Express Tribune, Professor Munawar Abbas, Central President of the Sindh Professors and Lecturers Association, expressed his frustration over the situation. "Whether students are preparing for exams or awaiting their results, it makes no difference to the authorities. Their focus is solely on power and personal gain," he added. "The education system in Sindh is being systematically destroyed. This is not an accusation, but a reality."

Prof Abbas went on to add, "For 18 years, none of the educational boards in Sindh, including Karachi, have had a permanent controller of examinations, board secretary, or director of finance. Even the post of chairman has remained vacant for years."

He further stated: "Ad-hoc appointments of blue-eyed people on political basis have resulted in mismanagement. If their decisions were sound, why would the courts rule against them?"

He said that while the controller of examinations is responsible for preparing results, the approval for their announcement must come from the chairman. Without a permanent chairman, delays are expected.

However, Prof Abbas predicted that the authorities would likely appoint someone on an ad-hoc basis or give additional responsibilities to an already overburdened ad-hoc chairman to get the results out.

"The real issue is not just announcing results," Prof Abbas said, "It's about appointing qualified people on merit for key positions like chairman, controller, and secretary to ensure a stable, functioning system. I demand that all vacant positions be filled immediately through merit-based appointments."

Educational experts agree that the lack of permanent top officials at the board will inevitably impact the quality of results. The frequent changes of key officials have taken a toll on the system. For the last three years, key positions, including chairmen and controllers, have been changed multiple times, leaving administrative affairs in disarray.

On July 20, 2023, after the early retirement of Dr Saeed Uddin, the chairman of the board, Professor Naseem Memon from the Larkana board was appointed for a two-year term. However, shortly after, the Sindh caretaker chief minister removed him and reassigned him to his previous position as chairman of the Larkana board.

On December 11, 2023, Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar, the then caretaker chief minister of Sindh, transferred the responsibility of chairmen of various boards to district commissioners. Karachi Commissioner Saleem Rajput was given the additional charge as chairman of the Karachi board.

In November 2023, after Naseem Memon's removal, he moved the court and regained his position. However, on July 5, 2024, the Sindh High Court suspended the notification reinstating him due to allegations of sexual harassment. This led to another leadership shuffle, and on July 8, 2024, Syed Zulfiqar Shah, chairman of the Mirpurkhas board, was given additional charge of the Karachi board.

These constant changes have eroded the board's ability to function effectively. Educational experts point out that key appointments should be made through a transparent process involving advertisements and a search committee to ensure qualified people are selected.

Permanent appointments, made for a three-year term, provide stability, unlike the temporary ones lasting just a few months, which disrupt administrative continuity. By the time an official starts understanding the complexities of the board's system, they are replaced.

One of the most controversial decisions was the appointment of commissioners to oversee educational boards. This experiment failed miserably, as students protested en masse against the exam results, which eventually led to grace marks being awarded to placate the angry students.