Karachi Matric exams postponed for two days

SSC exams postponed for two days
Karachi, March 24: In a late-night development, the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination was postponed for two days on the intervention of the governor as hundreds of students have still not received their admit cards. The exam was scheduled for today, March 24. Earlier in the night, students of class IX and X staged a sit-in on the MA Jinnah Road near Tibet Centre to protest against the non-issuance of admit cards.

Besides, despite claims by the Board of Secondary Education, Karachi (BSEK) that the annual examination 2010 would be held in government schools only, many private schools have been chosen as examination centres.

Earlier, the Ministry of Education, BSEK and other concerned authorities had decided to conduct the annual exams in government schools only. However, the BSEK took a U-turn and later declared that private schools would also be used as venues for holding the board exams. The BSEK ha earlier mentioned that there would be some requirements and formalities in this regard. However, it has been witnessed that a government school, which was the only examination centre in Ghaziabad, Organgi Town, is shifted to the far-flung locality of Yaqoubabad, for reasons best known to the officials of the Board.

The Medico Metropolitan School, the new examination centre in Yaqoubabad, is located at the end of the town's limit, near the Northern By-Pass. The students of at least eight private schools would appear at the above mention place during the exams.

The examination centers' lists provided by the BSEK states that the Medico Metropolitan School is situated in Ghaziabad, Sector 11, Orangi Town. However, a visit to Orangi Town revealed that this is incorrect information.

Ironically, it took up to 50 minutes to cover the distance from Ghaziabad to reach the venue and if, a candidate choose to walk, then it would take another few hours to reach the exam venue owing to the poor road infrastructure.

The managements of schools in Ghaziabad have arranged for private coasters to take their students to the centre as no public transport is available on the said route.

The previous examination centre at Ghaziabad facilitated the students of at least 34 local schools. However, due to the negligence of BSEK officials, hundreds of students from Ghaziabad will suffer at great deal, it was learnt.

The new centre at the Yaqouabad only has ten rooms whereas the government school in Ghaziabad is well established in this regard.

In the Medico Metropolitan School, 16 to 17 standard size tables can be placed in one room. Interestingly, there are 337 students of Class IX and X appearing in the exams. As per rules, there must be not more than 20 students in one examination room.

It is strange that the BSEK had not found any government or private school near Ghaziabad locality. Several private schools had submitted written applications against this injustice but no action has been taken till filing of this report.

We attempted to contact the Chairman BSEK, Anzar Hussain Zaidi, Controller of the Examination Kalim Asghar Kirmani and Secretary BSEK, Hoor Bi Mazhar. While Zaidi and Kirmani were not accessible while Hoor said that Kirmani was the right person to answer any queries in this regard. The news

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4,500 class IX, X students without admit cards: They don't really care about us!
Karachi: A large number of class IX and X students and concerned parents gathered outside the Board of Secondary Education Karachi (BSEK) to stage a protest demonstration against the non-issuance of admit cards as only two days are left in the commencement of the annual examinations.

Approximately 4,500 students of class IX and X, due to appear in the annual examinations starting from March 24, have still not received their admit cards.

Following the reaction of angry students, Rangers personnel deputed at the board office for maintaining peace tried to disperse them and after a minor quarrel baton-charged the protesters.

Later, the BSEK administration assured them of issuing admit cards by opening the office on March 23, a national holiday. Moreover, sources in the BSEK said that the board had issued admit cards on time but unfortunately, the courier company that was given the contract delayed their dispatch and therefore, the board would issue duplicate admit cards.

BSEK Examination Controller Kalim Asghar Kirmani explaining the matter said that around 4,500 students had applied for registration from March 16-18. Still, the board had accommodated their requests and asked them to collect their admit cards from March 21, he added.

"Only a few students arrived at the BSEK office to collect their admit cards on March 21, however, many have turned up today (Monday) that made the situation seem like a 'fish market' and it became very difficult to accommodate all of them," Kirmani said, adding, "Despite getting their admit cards, some students were more interested in staging a protest."

"Actually the situation was created by agents who wanted to register more students while the board refused; thus, they provoked the students for their own profit," he further added.

Talking about the delay by the courier company, Kirmani said only 500 students were not provided admit cards door-to-door because they provided erroneous information on the registration or examination forms. "We hired the services of a private courier company due to the poor condition of the Pakistan Post Office and to assist students in receiving their admit cards earlier," he said. He further added that the issuance of admit cards would continue until everyone received the admit card.

One of the affected students narrated, "It is very difficult to determine who is right. We are protesting for our rights while the law enforcers are torturing us?"

Some students also claimed that earlier they visited BSEK several times to get their admit cards but had to return following lame excuses by the department that the cards would be delivered at home.

"I visited the BSEK thrice but the concerned department told me to go home and wait for the delivery of the admit card," said Haris Wakil, a student of class IX.

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Students, parents stage sit-in on MA Jinnah over admit cards
Karachi: Many students of class IX and X and parents staged a sit-in on MA Jinnah Road on Tuesday night as well as a protest demonstration earlier in the day at the Board of Secondary Education Karachi (BSEK) office over the board's failure to provide admit cards even though the annual examinations start on Wednesday (today). The students claimed that the board has still not been able to issue admit cards to more than 1,000 students. However, BSEK Controller of Examinations Kalim Asghar Kirmani said that only 350 students were yet to receive their admit cards. He said the board had carried out its responsibilities and now it was the students' turn to collect their admit cards from the board office. "These 350 students have still not contacted the board to collect their admit cards," Kirmani added. The sit-in continued till the time this report was filed. Daily times

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Examination reporting cell set up at BSEK
Karachi: An 'examination reporting cell' has been established by the Board of Secondary Education Karachi (BSEK); the cell, which will be supervised by Deputy Examinations Controller Ameenuddin, has been set up in Room no.19, Ground Floor, Block-B, BSEK Examinations Controller Kalim Asghara Kirmani said on Monday. The cell will attend to and resolve complaints received during the examinations from examination centres, vigilance officers, group leaders, teachers, parents, students and the public. Issues can be reported at telephone numbers 021-3661-47-74, 021-9926-02-51, and 021-9926-02-52 to -56 (extension 327), Kirmani said. The news

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Student shot during clash at college
KARACHI: A student sustained a bullet injury and was admitted to the hospital in a critical condition when two rival student groups clashed at the Pak-Swedish Technical College, Quaidabad, in the limits of Shah Latif police station on Monday.

Police said activists of the Pakhtoon Students Federation (PSF) and the Islami Jamiat Talaba (IJT) clashed in the college over some issue, and used iron bars, wooden clubs and firearms to attack each other.

Consequently, an activist of the PSF, Nasir Zaman, was shot in the stomach and was rushed to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre. Five other students, Rafaih, Rehan, Owais, Kamran and Saleem, also sustained injuries and were shifted to private hospitals where they were released after being provided first-aid treatment.

Sukkhan police station SPO Abdul Jabbar Qaimkhani said the situation has been brought under control. Daily times

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First National Conference on Mathematical Sciences at KU
Karachi: Mathematics is fundamental to national prosperity in providing tools for understanding science, engineering, technology and economics, said Vice Chancellor, University of Karachi (KU), Dr Pirzada Qasim.

Dr Qasim said this while addressing the inaugural session of the 'First National Conference on Mathematical Science' at the KU on Monday. The event is organised by the Department of Mathematical Sciences, KU, in collaboration with the HEC and National Centre for Mathematics.

"Mathematics is essential in public decision-making and for participation in the knowledge economy because it equips pupils with uniquely powerful ways to describe, analyze and change the world. The subject transcends cultural boundaries and its importance is universally recognized, Dr Qasim.

Prof A.D.R.Choudary - Director General, Abdus Salam School of Mathematical Sciences, Government College University (GCU), Lahore, Dr Sarwar Jehan Abbasi, Chairperson, Department of Mathematics, also spoke. The news

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