Poor show: Teachers call for dissolution of PEC

Say the exam body has failed to fulfil its responsibility of student assessment


Fawad Ali October 20, 2014

RAWALPINDI: With the continuous poor performance of students in government schools, teachers and educationalists have turned to pin the blame on Punjab Examination Commission (PEC), demanding its dissolution.

The PEC, established back in 2005, was formed as an autonomous body which was to enhance performance of the teachers and students in the government schools through multi-dimensional assessment, analysis, research, observations and interviews, Punjab Teachers Union (PTU) provincial general secretary Rana Liaquat said.

“It had to train teachers and examine students’ learning achievements particularly of grade V and VIII on district, tehsil and union council level,” he added.

An official of the Rawalpindi education department, wishing not to be named, said PEC was to print papers, conduct examinations, prepare results, evaluate the result and make reports of students.

“It was supposed to compile an annual report highlighting weaknesses of students of every school on union council level,” he said adding that the PEC was then supposed to train teachers in the specific subject and appoint them in that specific school.

“But unfortunately, even after nine years neither has the commission prepared a report nor has it trained teachers,” he said.

Centralisation of PEC

The commission was established on the recommendations of a report prepared by foreign education consultants and bureaucrats. “The report suggested setting up an elementary board constituting of a team of technical staff comprising subject specialists, educationalists and researchers, who can collect data, analyse it and highlight the weaknesses on basis of the data,” the official said.

It was further decided that the authority would be devolved to districts where such teams would work but instead of devolving the power to district wings it decentralised the body and set up its office in Lahore by engaging teachers in the process as opposed to educationalists and researchers.

“This move undermined the main role of the PEC,” Dr Bashir Gondal, a retired educationist claimed saying that the data sent by teachers to the main office was assessed and show cause notices were issued for teachers performing badly.

“So to escape the departmental action, teachers have started changing the results in their favour,” he said. He said the data collected has no authenticity and cannot be used as provincial indicators. “If you don’t have authentic data, you cannot take a right decision,” he said.

Outer interference

Another blow to the commission was served by the undue political interference in the commission which forced the increase in seats for DMG group officers.

“Currently Nasir Iqbal Malik, a DMG group officer, heads the commission and gets a hefty salary of Rs0.3 million,” said that official. “Besides, officers from the same group have been appointed in the teachers training wing.” Dr Gondal revealed.

He said DMG officers have no know-how of education, about how schools are run, students’ psyche and teaching philosophy. He said only educationists, teachers and researchers in the field of education can assess, observe, and analyse student performance.

“The DMG officers are just giving presentations at donors’ meetings on the data which is collected by and compiled by lower staff of PEC,” he said.

Staff not regularised

The PEC staff comprises 25 members hired on contract in 2005-06. No recruitment has been made since then. “Now the provincial government has decided to increase the strength to 74 which is sanctioned this year but the decision has yet to be implemented,” the official said.

Shifting the responsibilities back to EDOs

Earlier, examination of grade V and VIII was conducted by district education departments. Every school would prepare its own papers, conduct examinations of the students, which was not helpful in collecting a uniform data and students and teachers’ weaknesses.

PEC’s responsibility was to print uniform papers and prepare results. But the PEC now has asked the EDOs to print papers, conducted examinations and prepare results. “If the job has to be done by EDOs there is no need for PEC,” said Dr Gondal.

PEC spends Rs550 million annually on examinations which is now conducted by the education department. Besides, around 2.7 million children appear across the province. The commission has prepared and sent a report to chief minister saying that everything was okay.

“Instead of highlighting faults and improving it performance, the commission has covered up its weaknesses,” said Dr Gondal.

PEC Chief Executive Officer Nasir Iqbal Malik was not available for comment.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 20th, 2014.

 

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