Tag: exams

  • Court orders Shah Abdul Latif University to take law colleges exams delayed since three years

    Court orders Shah Abdul Latif University to take law colleges exams delayed since three years

    The Sindh High Court’s Sukkur bench on Tuesday ordered the Shah Abdul Latif University to hold the law college exams in phases.

    As per reports, the petition was filed by law students pleading that the university has not taken their examinations for the last three years.

    The Registrar of Shah Abdul Latif University was present in the court today.

    “Why the exams have not held for the last three years,” Justice Aftab Ahmed Gorar asked the Registrar. “The papers were delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic,” the university’s official replied.

    “The pandemic situation exists for one year but the papers have not been taken for the last three years,” the Justice remarked.

    Read More: Pakistan’s first media university to be set up in Islamabad, says Fawad Chaudhry

    “You have put the future of hundreds of students at stake,” Justice Gorar added.

    “The university should arrange exams twice or thrice in a year to complete the students degree course within five years,” the bench ruled.

    The court also asked the university officials to prepare and submit the exams schedule to the court within two hours.

    In the last hearing, the court issued arrest warrants of the university’s registrar officer and ordered his presence in court for ignoring the court orders.

    The students’ counsel in the previous hearing said that in spite of strict orders, the registrar did not come to the court.

  • Shafqat’s disappointment

    Last month, Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood voiced his disappointment at the language used by young students on Twitter and social media. Responding to a question by senior anchorperson Asma Shiraz, Mahmood said: “The kind of language these children are using on Twitter, I think it is a collective failure of the government, teachers and parents. One feels ashamed.” Shafqat Mahmood was being trolled by students online for not postponing their exams. Later, the government did postpone the exams till June 15.

    Lawyer and activist Jibran Nasir, who was leading voices to raise the issue of exams on social media and a vocal critic of Shafqat Mahmood, came to the latter’s defence regarding online abuse. Jibran tweeted: “Dear Students, anyone encouraging you to make nasty comments or insulting tweets to highlight your exam issue doesn’t have your best interest at heart. I’ll repeat don’t hurt your cause or embarrass those supporting you by participating in such trends. Keep it clean & respectful.”

    Unfortunately, online trolling and abuse has become a norm in recent years. Trolls are basically people who attack people online in a vicious and malicious way. There are many studies that observe why trolls behave this way. Dr Mark Griffiths, Professor of Behavioural Addiction at Nottingham Trent University, told the BBC that most people troll others “for either revenge, for attention seeking, for boredom, and for personal amusement”. Then there are paid trolls who are part of political parties and other interest groups. It is their job to silence their critics by attacking them. Politicians, journalists, feminists, activists and many others face vicious online troll attacks in Pakistan and other countries. But this does not make it right. Trolls feel powerful because of the anonymity that social media provides. A lot of trolls do not use their own real names and identities. This makes them feel even more ‘powerful’ and they think they can say anything to anyone, be it celebrities, politicians, journalists, etc. Trolls also think that there are no consequences for such behaviour but this is not completely true either. In some cases, trolls who were identified have lost their jobs, have been expelled from educational institutions and some have even gone to jail for threatening others online.

    Shafqat Mahmood’s disappointment is something that everyone who has faced online trolling can relate to. We hope that young students and other people who think they can say anything and everything to strangers just because it’s an online space will introspect and behave more appropriately, as they would do in an offline space. 

  • Board exams to be held after June 15, announces Shafqat Mahmood

    Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood has announced that board exams will start after June 15 with priority for Grade 12 and 10 so that they can take admissions in universities without any delay.

    The minister said the decision was taken in an Interprovincial Education Ministers Conference (IPEMC) that took place on Wednesday.

    “Intermediate and Matric exams would be given priority so that results can come in before university admissions,” said Mahmood, adding that respective boards will announce the exact date of the exams later.

    In lieu of rising cases of COVID-19, Shafqat Mehmood earlier announced that no examinations will take place in the country until June 15. The decision came after increased pressure by students for the cancellation of exams.

    However, after the cancellation of exams, students are now demanding Teacher and School Assessed Grades, arguing that their study schedules have been disrupted because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

  • No truth in rumours, exams to be held as per schedule: Shafqat Mahmood

    Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood has rubbished all rumours about the cancellation of exams.

    The minister tweeted that the students of grade 9 and 11 will sit for their exams as per the scheduled timetable given by their respective boards.

    Mahmood added that there was no truth to the rumours circulating regarding the cancellation of the exams.

    Last month, Mahmood and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan had announced that as per the suggestion of the National Command and Operation Centre, all board exams had been postponed till June 15.

    “Exams of 9, 10, 11 and 12, which were supposed to begin from the end of May, have been delayed further,” the minister said. “No board exams will be held till mid-June (June 15).”

    Mahmood added that another meeting of the NCOC will decide in the third week of May whether these exams will be postponed further or not.

  • Private schools request Cambridge for School Assessed Grades

    With the government announcing that all exams are cancelled until June 15, students are now demanding School Assessed Grades. In this regard, Jibran Nasir who has been a vocal advocate for the student throughout shared a screenshot of an email written to students by the CEO of Cedar College Karachi to inform them that schools in the city are uniting for a joint effort to get School Assessed Grades option for students.

    “In a situation that is evolving rapidly, I am happy to report that in the meeting that we had with school leaders of O’ and A’ Level schools from across Karachi, we reached a unanimous decision to write Cambridge International as one unified block requesting that they give our students the option to op for school/teacher assesses grades for the June 2021 exam series,” read the email.

    The email further stated, “We hope that the fact that we are all speaking with one voice, and have one message will have a greater impact on Cambridge International with respect to allowing Pakistani students the option of taking school assessed grades.”

    “May this become a nationwide effort. Schools are filling shoes of [the] government as Education Minister remains absent,” wrote Jibran in the caption.

    Jibran Nasir also shared names of other private schools who are in favour of School Assesses Grades and requested other schools to do the same.

    Students have been demanding Teacher and School Assessed Grades with the hashtags #ShafqatDestroysOurCareer and #ResignShafqatMahmood trending on social media. They argue that their study schedules have been disrupted because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

  • The deadly COVID-19 third wave

    The deadly COVID-19 third wave

    On Sunday, 5,611 people tested positive for COVID-19. The third wave of coronavirus seems to be spreading quite fast. On Saturday, 157 people died due to coronavirus in Pakistan. This was the highest number ever recorded since the pandemic broke out in the country. Last year the highest number of deaths was 153 in June. 
    On the other hand, people are not following basic SOPs like wearing masks or sanitising hands or maintaining social distancing. The interior ministry has notified army deployment for the implementation of COVID-19 SOPs. Hopefully, people will now follow SOPs. 

    In the wake of the third coronavirus wave, the government has started walk-in vaccination for those between the age of 60 to 64. But the problem is that the vaccination process in Pakistan is quite slow. According to a report in Dawn, if Pakistan continues its vaccination drive at this rate, “it will take more than three years to cover 20 per cent of the country’s population”. Even the private vaccines are not much in numbers. Unless and until we accelerate our vaccination drive, it will be very difficult to deal with this pandemic.
    We have seen how horrible the situation is in neighbouring India. Prime Minister Imran Khan and several cabinet ministers as well as many Pakistanis expressed their solidarity with India. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi tweeted: “As a gesture of solidarity with the people of India in the wake of the current wave of COVID-19, Pakistan has officially offered relief and support to India, including ventilators, Bi PAP, digital X-ray machines, PPEs and other related items.” Qureshi added that Pakistan believes in a policy of humanity first. 
    We should not take the situation in India lightly. No hospital beds and acute oxygen shortage in India is scary. Unfortunately, the hospital capacity in Pakistan as well as oxygen supply is  also reaching its capacity. Some hospitals in cities like Islamabad are full. ICU beds were more than 90 per cent full a few days ago in Lahore. Oxygen supply ended in two hospitals in Quetta. This is all frightening but real. 
    We need to be more careful and follow SOPs strictly while the government needs to focus more on the vaccination process.

  • Asim Azhar backs students, urges Shafqat Mahmood to cancel exams again

    Asim Azhar backs students, urges Shafqat Mahmood to cancel exams again

    After Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood announced that there will be no delay or cancellation of exams, Asim Azhar once again voiced his support for students, urging the minister to reconsider his decision in view of the ongoing third wave of COVID-19 across Pakistan.

    “A, AS, O Level and IGCSE exams will be held as per the date sheet announced by CAIES,” said Mahmood, asserting they will be no cancellation or delay in the exams.

    Mahmood added that Cambridge has assured that all SOPs will be strictly followed.

    Responding to the announcement, the singer said: “Who will be responsible if kids take COVID back to their homes just so they could appear in exams?”

    In another tweet, Azhar urged Mahmood to rethink his decision.

    “Abhi bhi waqt hai, bacho pe tars khaalain,” said Asim.

    Earlier, Twitter had raged with students advocating for the cancellation of board exams this year following the deadly third COVID-19 wave across the country.

    Students demanded to cancel board exams 2021 amidst their disturbed learning schedules. Several students were also demonstrating on the streets so that the government take proper notice of their demands.

    #ExamCancelHoga, #cancelboardexams2021 and #ShafqatMahmood were among the top trends on the micro-blogging site as social media users and students expressed their concern over the sharp rise in cases of COVID-19 and its effect on their studies.

    Asim and Hadiqa Kiani had also voiced their support for the students over exams cancellation.

  • Asim Azhar, Hadiqa Kiani, Shaan urge Shafqat Mahmood to give relief to students

    Asim Azhar, Hadiqa Kiani, Shaan urge Shafqat Mahmood to give relief to students

    Asim Azhar, Hadiqa Kiani and Shaan have requested Minister for Education Shafqat Mehmood to postpone the upcoming papers and give students and their parents some relief.

    “Please think of our children,” said Kiani. “We must find an alternative plan that doesn’t put them in danger.”

    She added that she “an advocate for education” and prays that he son goes on and achieves a PhD.

    “But this is just not the way,” said the singer.

    Similarly, Azhar said: “Sir, it would be unfair to hold exams in such circumstances! Please find a solution.”

    The singer further said: “Students have really been disturbed due to the ongoing pandemic causing the institutes to close and open again and again.”

    “I personally know some students that haven’t been able to complete their syllabuses as well,” he asserted.

    Addressing students, Asim said that he understands their pain because if he wasn’t a full-time musician, he would also be going through the same stress.

    “I understand your stress and pain guys. Agar abhi music nahi kar raha hota tou mai bhi ro raha hota exams ko leke iss waqt.. so I understand,” said Asim, adding: “I am sure Shafqat Mahmood will stand with the youth and find the best solution possible.”

    Shaan, on the other hand, brought up another issue, saying: “Honourable minister must give relief to parents who are suffering from not just the pandemic but the private school mafias as well.”

    “Change was your slogan and patience is all we have till now,” he added.

    The veteran actor further said: “Elm bohat bari dolat Hai… agar yaqeen na aye to private school kai malikaan sai pooch lain.”

    Demanding teacher-assessed grades, dozens of students of the Cambridge International Education (CIE) system staged a protest outside the Karachi Press Club (KPC) on April 2 against the O’ and A’ Level examinations scheduled to be held in April and May. Multiple protests also took place across the country against the exams, including one in Lahore.

    After studying online for the whole year, the protesting students said that they would not appear for tests in classrooms. The students and their parents demanded the federal government to cancel the CIE examinations in light of the pandemic and asked for marking to be done on the basis of teacher-assessed grades.

    However, Mahmood on Tuesday announced that examinations across the country will be held from the third week of May, adding that Cambridge exams will be held as per schedule.

    “Decisions regarding exams are final,” said Mahmood. “Students should start preparing and working hard.”

    Meanwhile, A-level exams are scheduled at the end of April, while the O-level exams are slated to begin on May 10.

  • Cambridge agrees to revise O/A Level grades

    Cambridge agrees to revise O/A Level grades

    The Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) has agreed to revise the grades issued for the June 2020 series and has announced that the grades will not be lower than the predicted grade submitted by the school, adding that “if a grade that was issued last week higher than the predicted grade, the higher grade will stand”.

    Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood announced the decision on social media and expressed his relief over the matter.

    Mahmood also shared that Prime Minister Imran Khan was “deeply concerned about this issue and asked me to help resolve it”.

    Read more – APS attack survivor Ahmad Nawaz is heading to Oxford University

    Similarly, Education Minister for Punjab Dr Murad Raas tweeted the official statement of Country Director CAIE which read: “We have decided that grades we issue for the June 2020 series will not be lower than the predicted grade submitted by the school. Where a grade we issued last week was higher than the predicted grade, the higher grade will stand.”

    The coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdown this year had forced CAIE to cancel its May/June 2020 exams worldwide. The examination board later announced that certificates would be awarded without exams under a new four-step assessment mechanism which included teachers’ predicted grades, ranking order, school review/approval and standardisation.

    However, after the results were announced last week, students started raising concerns and protested against the grades which were lower than their expectations and previous performance. They believed that Cambridge’s grade prediction system downgraded their qualifications, causing many to lose university placements and essential scholarships. Following the outrage, the government stepped in to assist students and Mahmood on Friday shared that Cambridge agreed to review its grading procedure.

    Meanwhile, in a statement issued Friday, CAIE said it had been listening to feedback and suggestions from schools and students and had been “looking carefully at how to act on it.”

    “Since we released our results on August 11, we’ve been listening to the feedback and suggestions from our schools and students. We know schools have been pleased that we were able to provide grades in challenging circumstances,” it said.

    It added, “We have also heard your concerns about some aspects of our process, and we understand the real anxieties Cambridge students are facing at the moment. We have been looking carefully at how to act on your feedback, and at the same time make sure schools, universities and employers continue to trust our qualifications.”

    “On Tuesday, August 18, we will let you know the actions we will take,” it added.

    It is pertinent to mention here that the issue at hand was not limited to Pakistan alone. According to a report in BBC, approximately 40% of A-Level results of students in England were downgraded after the exams regulator Ofqual used an algorithm based on a schools’ previous results. This sparked outrage among the public following which the UK government, after discussing the matter, announced that A-level and GCSE students in England will be given grades estimated by their teachers, rather than by an algorithm.

  • CSS exams to be held in Urdu

    CSS exams to be held in Urdu

    The Senate has passed a resolution to allow aspirants of Central Superior Services (CSS) to take their examinations in Urdu alongside English.

    The resolution, passed on Monday with majority, was moved by
    Jamaate Islami (JI) Senator Sirajul Haq.

    In defence of his resolution, the JI chief said that Article 251 of the Constitution clearly directed to implement Urdu as the official language, however, it could not have been executed even after 45 years.

    Taking the floor, State Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan said if the decision was implemented in haste, the drop out percentage in the exams would increase.

    “Students should be given an option to attempt the exams in their
    preferred language,” he added while assuring the upper house of implementation.

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Senator Sassui Palijo, on the
    other hand, opposed the resolution and said English was an international
    language.

    “Countries like China, France and Germany, who were so concerned about their languages, are also promoting English to prepare their people to compete at the international level,” she added.

    Palijo further said that it would not be wise to “confine talents
    to Urdu language”.