Zardari as MCQ answer costs teacher lifetime disqualification
Subject specialist says inclusion of Zardari, Gilani as options not intentional, only gauging knowledge of students.
DERA GHAZI KHAN:
The subject specialist who prepared the multiple choice questions for the grade ninth Urdu examination of Punjab board was disqualified for life, while the exam coordinator was disqualified for a period of five years.
The move – taken by the chairperson of Punjab Board – came after the exam paper included two bizarre questions with President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani as options to choose from.
One question asked: Who is responsible for Pakistan’s security?
Options were God, [President] Zardari, [Prime Minister] Gilani and the people.
Another, trickier question asked what the system of life is based on.
Options included: Deen (religion), dunya (the world), doulat (wealth) and [President] Zardari.
Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) Dera Ghazi Khan Chairperson Dr Zafar Aalam Zafri had constituted a committee under the supervision of Principal Government College Layyah, Professor Maher Muhammad Akhtar, to investigate and was given a 24-hour deadline to submit a report.
Today (Thursday), the report which was submitted by the commission entailed the statement given by Hafiz Ajmal – the subject specialist – that the inclusion of Zardari and Gilani as options was not an “intentional move” but only to gauge the knowledge of the students regarding current affairs.
While the exam coordinator, Ijaz Hussain, was disqualified for five years.
Further recommendations were also forwarded to the Executive District Officer to put the two officials on trial for “creating confusion” in the minds of the students and also for “insulting” the president and prime minister of the current government.
The paper was designed by officials from the education board in Dera Ghazi Khan. A total of eight boards make question papers for each subject. The papers are then shuffled in coordination with the secrecy department. The question paper from Dera Ghazi Khan therefore ended up in Lahore.
The subject specialist who prepared the multiple choice questions for the grade ninth Urdu examination of Punjab board was disqualified for life, while the exam coordinator was disqualified for a period of five years.
The move – taken by the chairperson of Punjab Board – came after the exam paper included two bizarre questions with President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani as options to choose from.
One question asked: Who is responsible for Pakistan’s security?
Options were God, [President] Zardari, [Prime Minister] Gilani and the people.
Another, trickier question asked what the system of life is based on.
Options included: Deen (religion), dunya (the world), doulat (wealth) and [President] Zardari.
Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) Dera Ghazi Khan Chairperson Dr Zafar Aalam Zafri had constituted a committee under the supervision of Principal Government College Layyah, Professor Maher Muhammad Akhtar, to investigate and was given a 24-hour deadline to submit a report.
Today (Thursday), the report which was submitted by the commission entailed the statement given by Hafiz Ajmal – the subject specialist – that the inclusion of Zardari and Gilani as options was not an “intentional move” but only to gauge the knowledge of the students regarding current affairs.
While the exam coordinator, Ijaz Hussain, was disqualified for five years.
Further recommendations were also forwarded to the Executive District Officer to put the two officials on trial for “creating confusion” in the minds of the students and also for “insulting” the president and prime minister of the current government.
The paper was designed by officials from the education board in Dera Ghazi Khan. A total of eight boards make question papers for each subject. The papers are then shuffled in coordination with the secrecy department. The question paper from Dera Ghazi Khan therefore ended up in Lahore.