PESHAWAR: The education boards have unanimously decided that they will hold the annual examinations for 10th and 12th grades from June 23 under the government’s standard operating procedures for coronavirus prevention and control.

They also agreed that examinations for ninth and 11th grades would begin a week after the conclusion of 10th and 12th grade examinations if the Covid-19 cases are found to be under control.

The decision came during a meeting of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Boards’ Chairmen Committee.

The chairmen of the province’s seven education boards attended in it.

The elementary and secondary education department will issue a notification about exams later.

In the recent meeting of the federal and provincial education ministers, KP minister for elementary and secondary education department Shahram Khan Tarakai had proposed the start of 10th and 12th examinations from June 23.

Exams for ninth, 11th grades later if Covid remains under control

According to the official data, 804,565 students have enrolled themselves with seven education boards for sitting the annual secondary school certificate exams and 507,177 for intermediate exams.

The government had announced the promotion of grade 1-12 students last year without holding examinations due to a spike in Covid-19 cases.

Chairman of the Kohat Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Shaukat Hayat told Dawn that the boards took decisions on exams after developing a consensus in the KPBCC meeting.

He said the committee decided that vaccination against Covid-19 was mandatory for the teachers to be appointed invigilators for board exams.

“Unvaccinated invigilation and allied staff will not be allowed to perform exam duties,” he said.

The board chairman said the schedule of 10th and 12th exams would be made in such a manner that every paper of both classes was held on alternate day.

“We have decided to take examinations for 10th and 12th grades first as students take admission in colleges after matriculation examination and in professional colleges and universities after intermediate examinations,” he said.

Mr Hayat said as ninth and 11th graders didn’t change their educational institutions after examinations, it was decided to take their examinations in the second phase.

He said all anti-coronavirus SOPs notified by the provincial government would be observed inside and outside examination halls and that different officials would be deputed during examinations to ensure the enforcement of SOPs.

“Normally, the education boards depute one invigilator for 40 students inside examination halls. However, for the upcoming examinations, one invigilator will be deputed for 25-30 students as they will require more halls after creating more space among students for coronavirus prevention and control,” he said.

The board chairman said the number of invigilation staff would be more than those deputed in the previous examinations and therefore, the upcoming board exams would cost more.

He said the question paper setting had not been changed and it would be based on the old pattern.

The board chairman said the KPBCC meeting was held on the directions of the provincial government to decide about the start of board exams.

He said instructions regarding the use of face masks and hand sanitisers, observance of social distance and other precautionary steps against coronavirus would be issued to the students along with date sheets.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2021