Matric result: Girl clinches top position

Second, third positions secured by boys.

ISLAMABAD:

A girl outshone boys in the secondary school certificate examinations by clinching the first position.

The Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE), Rawalpindi announced the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) result on Thursday with a pass percentage of 60 per cent.

Amna Aziz Sheikh of Asif Public Girls Higher Secondary School, Al-Noor Colony Rawalpindi, grabbed first position with 1,020 marks out of 1,050.

Amna, speaking on the occasion, said she managed to come first through sheer hard work and concerted efforts.

“This is the happiest moment of my life,” she said. “I knew I would secure a position, but just wasn’t sure about coming first.”

Amna said she studied around 10 hours daily for the exams and would like continue her higher studies in the field of information technology.

Salman Tanseer of the Cadet College Hassan Abdal, Attock campus, clinched the second position with 1,019 and Muhammad Sohaib of the Cadet College Kallar Kahar Secondary School, Chakwal, came third with 1,018 marks.

In the Matric General group (Girls), Saba Namal, of the Grammar Public High School, stood first. Saba said her parents supported her despite their meagre means. Her father, Jan Muhammad Sheikh, who is a welder, said he was extremely happy about his daughter’s achievement and would support her higher education with his hard-earned money.

Rawalpindi BISE Chairman Dr Muhammad Ashraf and Member of National Assembly Malik Abrar Ahmad distributed cash prizes and laptops among the toppers.

Ashraf said there is an education war in the world today and the country which succeeds in the field of education will succeed at everything.

“A nuclear bomb is no longer a guarantee for a country’s security, but education is,” he said.

During the prize distribution ceremony, the position holders said there should be an equal system of education through out the country. There should be a single education system in the country, they said.

According to the result sheet, 118,648 students appeared in the examination, out of which 71,156 were declared successful with 54 pass percentage among boys and 67 pass percentage among girls. Out of the 73,501 regular students, the pass percentage was 74.82.

The principal of Government Post Graduate Girls College, Satellite Town, Dr Aliya Sohail, announced 30 scholarships for SSC position holders.

Sohail said the top 10 position holders will get free education and the next 10 will get a 15 per cent tuition waiver.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 26^th, 2013.