Education boards to get permanent heads soon

Chairman, secretary and controller of exams posts vacant for up to three years

RAWALPINDI:

A total of 155 candidates have entered the competition in the first phase for the appointment of permanent chairmen, secretaries, and controllers of examinations in nine education boards across Punjab, including the Rawalpindi board.

The Punjab Higher Education Commission had invited applications for permanent appointments to these three key positions, with December 31, 2025, set as the deadline. All nine education boards had been functioning without permanent officers on these posts for periods ranging from one to three years. The boards were being run on a temporary basis by junior and acting officers, which severely affected their financial, administrative, and examination systems.

Following strong protests by board employees, it was decided that these positions would be filled through tests and interviews, and applications were invited accordingly. Highly qualified education officers, including a significant number of women officers, have applied for the posts.

Scrutiny of the received applications has begun, and after completion of the process, three candidates per post are likely to be called for tests and interviews. Permanent appointments of chairmen, controllers of examinations, and secretaries in all nine boards are expected to be completed before the matriculation annual examinations, now scheduled to start from March 26.

Due to Ramazan, the matric exams originally scheduled to begin on March 3 have been postponed. According to the new decision, matric annual exams will commence on March 26, while intermediate annual exams will begin on May 5.

Meanwhile, the Class VIII board examination, being conducted under PECTA after a gap of five years, will start from March 5.