Punjab to penalise college students for exam absences

Passing preliminary tests mandatory; students with 'F' grade in two subjects will not be allowed to sit in board exams

The Punjab Higher Education Department (Colleges) has issued new disciplinary and examination guidelines for students of government colleges across the province.

According to the directives, students who remain absent in December tests and pre-board examinations will be fined Rs200 per paper, while absentees from monthly tests will face a fine of Rs100 per paper. The fine will be paid through bank deposit slips.

Students unable to appear in exams due to illness must provide a medical certificate from a government hospital; otherwise, they will be marked as failed. After recovery, it will be mandatory for them to take the missed exam.

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All students must appear in monthly tests without exception. Teachers have been instructed to maintain a complete and accurate record of students attendance from the beginning to the end of the academic session.

Monthly test records must be entered in teachers’ registers according to the academic calendar, while principals or vice principals will review and sign the attendance registers every month.

It is now compulsory for all students to participate and pass class tests, monthly tests, December tests, and pre-board exams. Principals are responsible for ensuring that both students and teachers maintain attendance throughout the academic session.

Cases of students found cheating in exams will be referred to the college council, whose decision will be final and cannot be challenged in any court.

The examination branch of each college has been directed to maintain complete and accurate records, including question papers, checked answer sheets, award lists, and result registers, for inspection purposes.

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Students must obtain at least 40 per cent marks to pass the monthly, December, and pre-board exams. Moreover, results for the October 12, 2025, tests must be submitted to the relevant office by November 8.

Students with attendance below 75 per cent or those absent from college examinations will not have their examination forms forwarded to the educational board.

As per the academic calendar, students who remain absent from classes will not be issued admit cards. Those obtaining an “F” grade in two or more subjects in pre-board tests will also be barred from appearing in board exams.

The department has directed all principals and teachers to strictly implement these instructions.

Over 4,400 specialist teaching posts lie vacant

Meanwhile, in a surprising revelation, it is learnt that across Punjab, a staggering 4,404 posts of Subject Specialist (Grade-17) teachers in higher and higher secondary schools remain vacant due to delays in promotions and new appointments.

According to data, of 5,576 sanctioned positions, nearly 79 per cent are unfilled.

The vacancies persist because Secondary School Teachers (SSTs), who are entitled to 67 per cent in-service promotion quota, have not been elevated for years. The alleged negligence, educationists say, violates teachers’ legal rights and amounts to “economic murder” of qualified staff.

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The Higher Secondary School system, introduced in 1987 after the abolition of intermediate colleges, now faces collapse in the absence of specialist teachers in key subjects such as chemistry, physics, mathematics, biology, English, Urdu, and computer science.

Both male and female SSTs—many with MPhil and postgraduate qualifications—have been burdened with administrative duties instead of teaching, further compromising the education standards.

No new SST recruitment has been made for years, while promotion committees have failed to convene.

Punjab SST Teachers Association President Iqbal Nadeem Bhall and central leader Muhammad Shafiq Bhalwalia said, “Subject Specialists are the backbone of the higher secondary system. Not every teacher can teach science subjects.”

They demanded immediate recruitments, regularised promotions, and the convening of promotion committee meetings to fill vacant posts and improve the quality of education.