The educational authorities in Sindh have been asked to update and improve their examination and results record of 2019. This is done in the wake of certain recommendations being put forward in Sindh Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education. The board in Sindh will come up with developing an average mark awarding formula, this strategy will be applicable for all the registered students of matriculation and intermediate. The formula shall be used and applied only in the case that if examinations for the current year are cancelled.
Sindh Board conducted a meeting with all its educational boards this week as per the guidelines of Inter Board Committee of Chairmen (IBCC). An online meeting was scheduled among all the Chairmen of provincial educational boards but IBCC asked all the boards to conduct a meeting with their respective boards firstly. The agenda of Sindh Boards’ meeting was to come up with suggestions and decide on a mutual way forward amid the existence of corona virus. The meeting was welcomed by all the boards, however, there were numerous challenges in the front of boards as well. All the boards brought their suggestions on the board but on the other end, the boards demanded Sindh Board to address the challenges too.
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The feasibility of conducting examinations were discussed at length and one of the agreed decisions were to practice social distancing during the exams. Contrary to that, practicing social distancing during the exams within examination centers can be a daunting task as highlighted by numerous boards and likewise, understood by Sindh Board. Social distancing will mean less students in one center which will cause an increase in the examination centers. This change will have other consequences like increase in the number of examination staff, increase in the costs and expenditures for multiple reasons.
While concluding the meeting and addressing the challenges at same time, it was finalized that in case of exams conduct, the duration will be shortened with even using an objective type paper only. Lastly, in case of cancellation, the students of 10th and 12th classes will be awarded marks based on their previous results with five percent as grace marks. However, the 9th and 11th exams were suggested to be shifted in the start of 2021. The decision was sent to provincial government for the approval. Meeting was attended by the boards of Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana and Mirpurkhas.