Mismanagement: Amid brazen cheating, students take technical exams

Over 4,000 candidates are appearing for the exams, which will end on April 30

KARACHI: Amid rampant cheating and power outages in the scorching summer heat, over 4,000 students of class IX and X have been appearing for their Technical School Certificate exams, being held under the supervision of the Sindh Board of Technical Education (SBTE), since April 15.

For the exams that will conclude on April 30, the SBTE has set up seven exam centres, including Aligarh Institute of Technology in Gulshan-e-Iqbal; Government Technical High School and Government Vocational Training Centre in Jacob Lines; Government Monotechnic Institute in Federal B Area; Government Vastania Boys Secondary School in Nazimabad; Government Polytechnic Institute for Boys in Landhi; and Government Jamia Millia Polytechnic Institute in Malir.

On Monday, The Express Tribune's visit to the centre in Landhi revealed students who were busy in filling out their answer sheets with the help of textbooks and notes spread out before them. The teachers attempted to alert them but to no avail.

Belonging to seven different technical schools in Korangi and Landhi, the students were made to sit on chairs that were on their last legs, squashed into any possible available space.

Scrambling to offer plausible excuses for the brazen cheating and mismanagement, the teachers on invigilation duty showed no hesitation in blaming the SBTE for sending more students than could be accommodated.

Meanwhile, the SBTE, which has recently witnessed a change in its administration - now comprising chairperson Liaquat Ali Khan, secretary Atiq Baig and examinations controller Lala Zaheer - is struggling to manage the situation at hand.

"We are new here but we are trying our level best to conduct exams properly," explained the SBTE secretary when approached by The Express Tribune. "There are many issues and getting on top of them all will require some time."

For the first time in the history of the SBTE, the new administration has formed special vigilance teams to make surprise visits to the exam centres. "In the past, there was no concept of independent vigilance, which has made the exam centres and staff lax," remarked Baig, who appeared optimistic about transforming the SBTE for the better in the years to come.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 21^st, 2015.