Girls Higher Secondary School Jacob Lines examination centre in Karachi. PHOTO: JALAL QURESHI/FILE
KARACHI:
The third day of annual matriculation examinations was also marked by serious mismanagement, cheating allegations, and poor facilities, while a separate case was also registered over an alleged “paid cheating” examination centre.
Under the Board of Secondary Education Karachi, Biology papers for classes IX and X were held in the morning shift across 521 centres, with more than 385,529 students appearing in the examinations. Section 144 was enforced around examination centres to maintain order.
Despite visits by Board Chairman Ghulam Hussain Soho, reports of irregularities continued. At a centre in Malir, students were allegedly allowed to cheat collectively using mobile phones, while at Government Boys Secondary School, Kala Board, open cheating reportedly went unchecked.
Power outages at multiple centres further compounded the difficulties, forcing students to attempt papers in extreme heat. In Lyari, female students were seen sitting on mats due to a shortage of desks and chairs, with no alternative arrangements made by the administration. A parent at a Kala Board centre said she spends nearly Rs14,000 per child on school fees along with additional tuition and digital learning costs, yet basic facilities at examination centres remain missing. Students also reported severe discomfort, with one ninth-grader saying she had to complete her paper on her lap due to broken furniture, which made filling the OMR sheet difficult and raised concerns about tearing.
Meanwhile, in a significant development, Shah Latif Town police registered a case against an examination centre in-charge over allegations of facilitating cheating in exchange for money.
According to the FIR, registered on the complaint of a Department of Education officer in Bin Qasim Town, the in-charge of a school, identified as school teacher Hanif Malik, allegedly demanded Rs5,000 per paper from students and parents to facilitate cheating. The complaint further stated that the allegations surfaced after a video was aired on a private TV channel. Following the report, Board Chairman Ghulam Hussain blacklisted the centre and ordered its closure.
