Board exams shall be held after June 20

It has been decided in a meeting of federal and provincial education ministers on 24 May 2021 to hold board exams across the country after June 20. The Inter-Provincial Education Ministers Conference (IPEMC) also decided that summer vacations would be shortened this year, according to a statement released by the federal Ministry of Education after the meeting.

Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood presided over the meeting which was also attended by all provincial education ministers as well as different secretaries.

They “analysed in detail all options" for holding exams across the country and decided that board exams would be held in Pakistan after June 20. The exact dates for the exams would be announced by the provinces later, the meeting decided.

Mahmood urged all federal units to focus on ensuring the timely vaccination of teachers, examination and administrative staff, adding that those who did not have a certificate of vaccination would not be called for invigilation duties.

During the meeting, the National Education Framework was also shared with the provinces and approved “in principle".

The meeting also discussed the handing over of staff of Basic Education Community Schools (BESC) and National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) schools to provinces after June 30 with committee chairman Mahmood asking the provinces to issue a notification regarding the devolvement soon.

Last week, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) had allowed the staggered reopening of educational institutions in districts where the positivity rate is less than five per cent.

Educational institutions in all districts would be reopened in a staggered manner from June 7, the NCOC had said while all matric and intermediate exams would be held after June 20.

All professional and non-professional exams would take place on a case-to-case basis as recommended by the Ministry of Education, according to the forum.

Mahmood said authorities could write to the education ministry’s secretary with details of exam centres, number of students and SOPs to be followed.

If all arrangements are satisfactory permission will be given promptly, he had tweeted.

Published in Daily Dawn on 25 May 2021