Students demand minister’s resignation
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LAHORE: Students and social activists have begun an online campaign demanding the resignation of Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mehmood for his failure to get the Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) examination postponed.
O and A level students took to Twitter running a #ResignShafqatMahmood trend. They seek grades on the basis of teachers’ assessment and complete cancellation of the examination.
Eesha Batool tweeted, “I am extremely upset at this point. @Shafqat_Mahmood is being totally inconsiderate and must be sacked for what he has done”.
Rights activist Jibran Nasir also issues a statement in support of the students and said that the students had been protesting for weeks and also filed petitions in all high courts but no one listened to them.
He thanked Mr Mehmood for stopping the examinations. He, however, criticized the minister’s failure to convince the Cambridge Assessment International Education for teacher’s assessment.
He said the students would be left behind for six months if they would have to take examinations in October and November and they would not be promoted to the next grade.
He also tweeted “If #SAGs are not offered to #Pakistani students and @Shafqat_Mahmood makes them miss an entire session and waste 6 months falling behind all international students then @ImranKhanPTI must sack the Federal Education Minister for his monumental blunder to not cancel exams in time”.
Earlier, the minister announced that no examinations would take place in the country until June 15, amid a surge in coronavirus cases and deaths.
He also announced the postponement of O and A level exams being conducted from last week and said the exams would now take place in the October-November cycle while adding A2 exams were not canceled for those students who wanted to appear for the purpose of applying to foreign universities.
The minister also tweeted that the decision had been taken to address the “health concerns of students and parents ... all exams canceled till June 15 and depending on the spread of the disease may even go further”.
He said Cambridge exams had been postponed till October for all grades, while the only exception was for those A2 students “who have a compulsion to take [the] exam now”.
Meanwhile, the All Pakistan Private Schools Association also rejected the government’s decision to cancel all examinations till Eidul Fitr.
APPSA president Kashif Mirza said the government would have to fully implement the SOPs but it failed to do so.
He said the cancellation of exams would leave a drastic impact on the students’ future and they would lose six to seventh months to be promoted to the next class.
PUNJAB CLOSES SCHOOLS: The Punjab School Education Department (SED) on Tuesday announced closing all public and private schools in the province till Eidul Fitr due to increasing cases of coronavirus.
Minister for School Education Murad Raas tweeted “All Public and Private Schools in Punjab to be closed starting April 29, 2021, till Eid due to conditions of Covid-19. No exceptions.”
He also shared a notification from the school education department.
Published in Dawn, April 28th, 2021
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Comments (52) Closed
Apr 28, 2021 10:28am
This is a mess created by SM and PTI.This is a government who are champions in shooting on their foot.
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Apr 28, 2021 10:44am
no mess, he should have tightened implementation of SOPs outside exams and continued with exams. He gave in to the students demand and now he has been asked to pay for the mistake. there should be no excuse, exams should be held, not jump over or free grades. from student reactions it shows they have given up on preparations for exams, while they had more than enough time to do so at home (free and plenty of time). Pls dont ruin further whatever is leff ot education in this country
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Apr 28, 2021 10:55am
What good is going to come out of his resignation. The minister can only stop the examination locally, but cannot dictate his terms to an overseas board /University . Cambridge does not trust the assessment of the teachers, so the students will have to take the examination whether its now or in October /November.
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Apr 28, 2021 10:56am
Federal and Punjab Education Ministers are completely directionless whether it is exams, single national curriculum, school upgrade, etc. no understanding how educational systems work
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Apr 28, 2021 11:03am
This COVID situation has made the students lethargic and kaamchor. They want to take full advantage of the current situation and get promoted without being tested/examined.
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Apr 28, 2021 11:18am
Mr.Jibraan has rightly thanked the minister for having Cambridge to stop the exam.Here in Mauritius,Mr Shafkat' s counterpart has successfully got the
Cambridge exam papers of today postponed in view of the inclement weather.
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Apr 28, 2021 11:32am
Nobody is ever happy about anything in Pakistan. Shafqat Mahmood should just resign and go home if he wants to retain his good name and disassociate himself from this totally corrupt PTI regime.
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Apr 28, 2021 11:52am
Anybody will also raise the voice for extended fees that has parent to pay for late exams. The schools are enjoying by extorting money from parents. It's no doubt shafqat is incompetent for his job . It's better that he should see only see PTI matters.
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Apr 28, 2021 11:55am
These students have vested interests and acting like politicians. This is what their parents taught them?
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Apr 28, 2021 11:55am
@Daud, I agree.
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Apr 28, 2021 12:07pm
@Khaled , WHAT? I don't know what made you write a comment like this. Cambridge itself said that they would follow governments directives on TAGs whereever possible. Pakistan, out of 7-8 countries, was the only one that did not avail this. TAGs were a option! That day nepal has opted for it AFTER THE DEADLINE.
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Apr 28, 2021 12:23pm
They seek grades on the basis of teachers’ assessment and complete cancellation of the examination. Why? want shot cut ,this is possible when examination is conducted by Pakistan. This is international examination ,majority students of A and O level ..are taking private tuition...
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Apr 28, 2021 12:24pm
only 5% students give cambridge exams..
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Apr 28, 2021 12:34pm
A relatively straightforward issue was mishandled greatly. I wonder how big of a blunder is single national curriculum going to be.
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Apr 28, 2021 12:37pm
Why are students afraid of taking exams.
The minister has made a blunder by cancelling exams in Pakistan where students will left behind by six months compared to students of regional countries
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Apr 28, 2021 12:42pm
@Engr Nasir , i agree tht it is important to raise concerns about the fees issue that schools are unfairly charging..
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Apr 28, 2021 12:56pm
Teacher's assessment of grade is often very off the target. If you want that, it has to be pass/fail. Not graded or scored.
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Apr 28, 2021 12:57pm
A few months ago weren’t they calling for him to be made PM... ?
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Apr 28, 2021 01:19pm
Disgraceful students - just lazy and dont want to do exams
They will regret it when their predicated grades are downgraded and they lose out on places
Such is the level of disobedience
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Apr 28, 2021 01:21pm
;) Imagine the students do not want grades without exams......... Happens when they see country running on nepotism and corruption.
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Apr 28, 2021 01:23pm
If he has any sense of respect then he may resign.
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Apr 28, 2021 01:36pm
Firstly, those asking for minister's resignation should consider doing Dharna at SAG office. What shall the minister do here other than requesting the CAIE to re-consider their decision?
Secondly, why do we really care about O and A levels all? After all sooner or later these students would eventually fly away from the country giving no benefit to the country of their birth.
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Apr 28, 2021 01:37pm
Instate Asif Zardari as Education Minister. That's what, we deserve.
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Apr 28, 2021 01:38pm
May I know why students have failed to prepared themselves for the Exams? After all, the initial exam date was Nov/Dec 2020.
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Apr 28, 2021 01:40pm
Only if the students realize what has happened to exams and the administrators in the UK then only they will appreciate how difficult the situation has been due to the uncertain world of this virus
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Apr 28, 2021 01:53pm
@Khaled ,
Yes Pakistan can assert itself and its not "dictating" to Cambrige but selecting the option of School Assessed Grades that was used by all other countries from Thailand to UAE to India including the UK itself. Why should Pakistan be the ONLY exception & be discriminated against?
These are PRIVATE exams which Cambridge conducts and Pakistani students collectively pay millions of rupees for the privilege of sitting for these qualifications. They don't come cheap.
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Apr 28, 2021 02:00pm
I wonder why students, who were registerred for exams, could not be vaccinated and asked to take the exam.
As far as resignations are concerned, perhaps student would ask judges to resign also.
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Apr 28, 2021 02:02pm
Please note error in the first paragraph of this article. Students are upset NOT because Education minister Shafqat Mahmood failed to 'postpone' exams. That is factually incorrect. They have been postponed causing a new problem of delaying subsequent entry to Universities & to next stage of schooling by 6 months disrupting normal cycle & putting students in disastrous position of forever having to play catch up.
What students are upset about is failure to switch to the SCHOOL based assessment .
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Apr 28, 2021 02:06pm
On average the exam fee for O level final exam is 125000. Students and parents can easily afford to pay additional 4200 rupees. Globally vaccine is being administered in 16 to 17 year age bracket
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Apr 28, 2021 02:31pm
Shafqat has proved himself to be the most incompetent and most dishonest minister in Imran Khan's cabinet. He needs to be immediately sacked before he ruins the career of every student in Pakistan.
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Apr 28, 2021 02:31pm
@Khaled , students want to blackmail the government like everyone else does and just party all summer. Its a reflection of that society. Have your cake and eat it, but still demand more. Not do anything themselves.
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Apr 28, 2021 02:55pm
Grades baes on teacher assessment will be a joke. Rich will get good grades and poor students will get.......
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Apr 28, 2021 03:34pm
@Khaled , Not quite. Cambridge provides SAG opportunity to every country. However, Pakistan didn't opt for it, and now I imagine it's a bit past the deadline, so they can't change it.
Kids are being fairly silly though. They want a clean-chit, no exams, nothing. How preposterous
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Apr 28, 2021 03:41pm
Our education minister has no control on O&A level exams. The best way out could be, to get the average school grades during the year of the students and get them computed by the competent authorities for equivalence certificates, to be used, where required.
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Apr 28, 2021 03:53pm
Students are right to demand his resignation. What a mess!
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Apr 28, 2021 03:56pm
Assalam o alikum, I am Known as Pakistan_fitness_guy , dear minister every one knows your duty is tough, its not easy to take quick decisions specially about study as we all know covid is still pandemic, nation wants to take self care and for betterment please start HEALTHY activities or workouts to face this covid.... Thanks buddy
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Apr 28, 2021 04:08pm
Why they talked about only Cambridge CAIE exam? Who is going to raise the voice for local and federal board students? They have to take the exam too, so why CAIE students wants grades without exam? There shall be equal and fair policy for everyone.
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Apr 28, 2021 04:49pm
He should resign. Plus this bogus efforts of similar syllabus for all without a comprehensive plan shows their ineptness.
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Apr 28, 2021 05:12pm
No students are not saying this
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Apr 28, 2021 05:22pm
@Khaled , not true. Cambridge has allowed the option of School Assessed Grades in all countries where the governments have canceled exams owing to Covid-19. Read the note on their website. Only the Pakistan government is not providing this option to its students.
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Apr 28, 2021 05:22pm
Not only SM quit but his boss IK should also retire
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Apr 28, 2021 05:25pm
Good job Mr Minister.....nothing is for free In this world and you have earn everything through hard work....so children pull up your socks and tighten your belts and work......hard
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Apr 28, 2021 05:26pm
The students and rights activists who are calling for the resignation of the Education Minister are absolutely oblivious to the fact that any decision he announces is not his own opinion, rather the whole cabinet consider them before letting him announce... So it is not only Shafqat Mehmdood who is guilty of rendering education institutes closed... It is the government to blame for our loss... Not only one person.... Be considerate... !
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Apr 28, 2021 05:26pm
@Bay Adab, not the ministers only but entire structure is not able to perform. Better pack up for the good of nation.
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Apr 28, 2021 06:47pm
Fact of the matter is, option or no option, the TAGs are at the discretion and whims of the teacher. Private schools/ tuition centres that are being run as business venture, promise good grades. Last year's fiasco is a living example when the grades were downgraded. In the long run the SAGs do not carry the same weight as the examination when applied for admission overseas. When A2 can appear for examinations under the prevailing conditions, why can't the O level students do the same?
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Apr 28, 2021 07:29pm
less 5% appear in Cambridge exams. More than 95% have concerns over School fees. The education minister should look in to the problem faced by 95% and ignore these 5%.
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Apr 29, 2021 06:04am
No cancellations of exams should be considered,
We don't want our youth to be NIKAMMAY like jibran nasir and waqar zaka both talk like illiterate with no manners.
Must take exams
PTI well done
No more stupid people like our past to rule us.
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Apr 29, 2021 06:10am
@haris, O and A Level students matter as much as Matric and FSce students do. Some of us may leave, but many of us will stay behind as we see fit. You hold no right to judge any of us no matter what the problem may be.
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Apr 29, 2021 06:16am
@Chrís Dăń, We were clearly taught to prioritize the greater good, in which case is our family and our own health. Our interest in politics comes from my generation picking up the pieces that your generation left behind. Us students have one goal. Do what is best for all. No less.
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Apr 29, 2021 08:45am
This is an absolute mess. The government is unable to decide on one thing and work towards it and due to this lazy act the students are now demanding a resignation. How is the government unable to deal with these protesters and what are the protesters even going to gain by calling for a resignation. A simple problem made difficult.
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Apr 29, 2021 09:08am
@Solomon The King, I totally agree with you. All this fuss is coming from the nonserious students who don't study even during normal classes.
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Apr 29, 2021 09:12am
@Engr Nasir , I wish that was the case for all private schools? All private schools are not well established and many have been closed because parents aren't actually paying. I am a teacher and I didn't get paid my salary because my school is under heavy loans to pay their building rent. So yea... There's always another side of the picture.
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