CM’s team probes discrepancies in Matric board results
BSEK passed over 11,000 failed students who did not appear for supplementary exams
BSEK passed over 11,000 failed students who did not appear for supplementary exams. STOCK PHOTO
KARACHI:
The chief minister’s inspection team (CMIT) has initiated an inquiry into how the Board of Secondary Education Karachi (BSEK) gave passing marks to over 11,000 students who failed in the SSC-II annual examinations and did not appear in the supplementary examinations in 2013.
The government took notice of a news story earlier published in The Express Tribune, which had revealed that BSEK officials had taken bribes to change the status of students from fail to pass, giving many failed students A-One grades in various subjects. A total of 138,121 students appeared in the annual SSC-II examinations, out of which 38,469 were declared to have failed. Of the failed students, only 21,681 appeared in the supplementary examinations, while 11,551 passed with flying colours despite not appearing.
Soon after the inquiry was initiated last month, the board office sold out the students’ answer copies in order to eliminate any evidence. “As per the rules, the answer copies cannot be sold out until the following year’s exams are conducted,” explained a senior BSEK official. “In this case, however, the first paper is scheduled for April 1 but they auctioned off the answer copies a month before it.” He added that the answer copies will be proof of major discrepancies in the results.
“They can tamper with the results on the computers but cannot change the manual records or answer copies,” explained sources, adding that BSEK officials were trying to use political influence to get rid of the inquiry.
Two members of the CMIT, Niaz Janwari and Riaz Soomro, are conducting the probe. “We have hired technical experts and will visit the board office’s computer cell before submitting the inquiry report,” they said, adding that the orders for the inquiry had been issued by the provincial chief minister. “Strict action will be taken if the examinations controller or other officials are found to be involved in the scam.”
The examinations controller, Noman Ahmed, claimed that the discrepancies were because of computer errors. He said that they will produce the records before the inquiry team.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 21st, 2015.
The chief minister’s inspection team (CMIT) has initiated an inquiry into how the Board of Secondary Education Karachi (BSEK) gave passing marks to over 11,000 students who failed in the SSC-II annual examinations and did not appear in the supplementary examinations in 2013.
The government took notice of a news story earlier published in The Express Tribune, which had revealed that BSEK officials had taken bribes to change the status of students from fail to pass, giving many failed students A-One grades in various subjects. A total of 138,121 students appeared in the annual SSC-II examinations, out of which 38,469 were declared to have failed. Of the failed students, only 21,681 appeared in the supplementary examinations, while 11,551 passed with flying colours despite not appearing.
Soon after the inquiry was initiated last month, the board office sold out the students’ answer copies in order to eliminate any evidence. “As per the rules, the answer copies cannot be sold out until the following year’s exams are conducted,” explained a senior BSEK official. “In this case, however, the first paper is scheduled for April 1 but they auctioned off the answer copies a month before it.” He added that the answer copies will be proof of major discrepancies in the results.
“They can tamper with the results on the computers but cannot change the manual records or answer copies,” explained sources, adding that BSEK officials were trying to use political influence to get rid of the inquiry.
Two members of the CMIT, Niaz Janwari and Riaz Soomro, are conducting the probe. “We have hired technical experts and will visit the board office’s computer cell before submitting the inquiry report,” they said, adding that the orders for the inquiry had been issued by the provincial chief minister. “Strict action will be taken if the examinations controller or other officials are found to be involved in the scam.”
The examinations controller, Noman Ahmed, claimed that the discrepancies were because of computer errors. He said that they will produce the records before the inquiry team.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 21st, 2015.