ISLAMABAD: The Inter-Board Committee of Chairmen (IBCC) — an umbrella organisation of education boards — has prepared an initial draft of the IBCC Act and service structure for the first time.

The IBCC, which issues equivalence certificates and verifies educational credentials up to the intermediate level, has been running through a resolution of parliament. However, now on the direction of the education ministry, the IBCC team has prepared an initial draft of the act, which has been shared with the ministry.

“So far, we have been functioning without an act or service structure. So on the direction of the education minister, we have prepared the initial draft, which will be ultimately presented before the parliament for approval,” said IBCC Secretary Dr Ghulam Ali Mallah.

Talking to Dawn, he said IBCC is an ISO Certified Organisation, but unfortunately, he said: “We have no act to guide us for functioning.” During his recent visit to the IBCC, Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood had issued directions to finalise the draft, he said.

Another IBCC official said that work has also begun to create a central repository of digitising the data of all examination boards. “We, in collaboration with National IT board are working on this important assignment and in the first phase, data of five major boards will be digitised,” he said, adding, IBCC has taken up the matter with all member boards to discourage rote learning. It has been agreed in principle to set papers and encourage the grasping of concepts.

It is a continuous process and improvement will be made gradually, he said, adding the Steering Committee of IBCC has raised the matter again and ensures to move it forward according to modern standards of examination. The IBCC has also taken up the matter with the ministry for preparation of a PC-I.

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2021