Matric results delayed by 15 days due to pending Sindhi paper evaluation

KARACHI:

The Board of Secondary Education Karachi (BSEK) has announced a delay of around 15 days in the announcement of matriculation results for the Science Group, affecting over 180,000 students. Despite earlier assurances that results would be declared by July 31, board officials now estimate the release in the second week of August.

The delay comes at a critical juncture, as nearly 100,000 matric students have already applied for admission to government colleges through the Sindh Education Department's centralised online portal. Around 50,000 students have already been allotted seats under the Centralised Admission Policy (CAP). The postponement is expected to create complications for college placements and the academic calendar.

Sources within BSEK told The Express Tribune that the primary reason for the delay is the incomplete checking of Sindhi language papers-a compulsory subject for the Science Group.

A large number of teachers assigned to mark these papers are currently on leave outside Karachi, creating a backlog in the evaluation process. Efforts are underway to recall them, but the available workforce remains insufficient to complete the task on schedule.

The matric exams concluded on June 2. However, the result compilation process has been marred by administrative issues. The position of controller of examinations remains vacant after the board chairman removed the previous controller without legal authority, a move that contravenes the BSEK Act, which grants appointment and removal powers solely to the Chief Minister of Sindh, the board's controlling authority.

Also, all three deputy controllers remain under suspension, and the chairman has assigned the duties of the controller to an assistant controller - raising further questions about the legality of the arrangement. In the absence of a permanent examination head, concerns have been raised about transparency, governance, and the board's ability to manage its responsibilities effectively.