BISE Peshawar cracks down on cheating

Two schools blacklisted, 37 exam staff removed; fake duty scams uncovered

PESHAWAR:

A report has been released detailing the steps taken to ensure transparency and prevent cheating during the ongoing matriculation examinations under the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) Peshawar. The report covers six districts: Peshawar, Charsadda, Upper Chitral, Lower Chitral, Mohmand, and Khyber.

According to the report, the licenses of two private schools have been canceled, and 37 examination staff members have been relieved of duty for negligence or involvement in malpractice. So far, 11 days of exams have been completed, during which 46 papers for 9th and 10th-grade students (science and arts groups) have been conducted across 713 centers, catering to approximately 200,000 students.

Under the supervision of Commissioner Peshawar Division and BISE Chairman Riaz Khan Mehsud, comprehensive measures were implemented to ensure fairness. These include surprise inspections, enhanced monitoring, and prompt disciplinary action.

A total of 54 staff members were penalized for failing to maintain standards—37 were removed from duty, blacklisted for life, and suspended. Their cases have been forwarded to the Elementary and Secondary Education Department for dismissal under E&D rules, and their TA/DA has been revoked.

Additionally, two private schools were recommended for disaffiliation by the Governance Board due to their involvement in aiding cheating.

Legal action was taken against 14 individuals for producing fake examination duty appointment letters. FIRs have been registered, and the accused are currently in jail. Four others were booked for issuing forged self-assigned duty letters, and staff from four private schools were charged for facilitating cheating.

One BISE official was dismissed for his role in issuing fake appointment letters.

Commissioner Riaz Mehsud affirmed that strict measures will continue until the conclusion of the SSC exams on April 29. District administrations have been instructed to stay vigilant, and he will personally conduct surprise visits to examination centers.

To encourage academic excellence and integrity, seven schools were awarded for outstanding performance, and nine examination staff members received cash prizes and certificates of appreciation from the Chief Secretary. These achievements have been widely highlighted across social, print, and electronic media.