Students deprived of awards

ISLAMABAD: Students from humble background are treated as children of lesser god by the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE), as despite passage of almost two years since they topped the annual exams they are still waiting to get scholarships which was promised by the minister for education and former chairperson of the board.
The authorities in board had promised to award them scholarships on securing top positions in the annual result however the students have neither been awarded any scholarships nor any top positions in the annual gazette.
When contacted Chairman Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Dr. Ikram Ali Malik said these students are not eligible for any positions as they have repeated the papers. Hence priority is given to those students who topped the exams in a single attempt.
Astudent, Saad Jan Roll No 502277, obtained first position in the annual examination of 2013 securing 927 marks in the Humanities group while a female student Abeera Saeed Roll No 578400 obtained second position in the board in Science General Group by securing 1010 marks in the annual exams.
The same year, two students who topped the matriculation exams were also deprived of their top positions as Ameer Hamza Roll No 175057 secured 953 out of 1050 marks in the annual ‘Matric’ results of the FBISE. Whereas Hanifullah, Roll No 170049 secured 948 out 1050 marks in the same exams. Hence the board gazette shows that both the students came first and second respectively but they were deprived of their position as the board authorities claimed that they were repeaters and did not pass the exams in a single attempt.
However both the students were deprived of the top positions and their positions were given to those who earned less marks. When the students approached the board they were told that they could not be included in the position holders’ list, as they had repeated a few papers in the exams.
Both the students informed the board authorities that by availing the ‘facility’ option provided by the board, which started in 2011, they had topped the board. Not only this but during the last two years, all the toppers availed the same ‘facility’ option and they were still given the awards.
After clear-cut refusal from the board authorities the students then filed a writ petition in the IHC but the court gave a decision against them. According to this ‘facility option’, the students have been given the concession of appearing in up to two papers of Part-1 along with Part-2 papers.
According to the students, the lawyer of the board presented forged policy guidelines on a single page while the real policy guidelines of the board have no such rule whereby a student by availing the ‘facility’ option would not be eligible for the board position.
The students further claimed that the IHC gave the verdict against them upon this evidence and they were not heard. The students then filed review petition but the court upheld the decision of the single bench.
Interestingly, the toppers of annual exams of 2011 and 2012 have also availed the same option of ‘facility’ and they were given awards. Both the students were invited in the award ceremony but their names were not announced. Upon this, both of them informed the state minister for education Baleeghur Rehman who promised them that they would be given justice.
Chairman Federal Board Dr. Ikram Ali Malik said he took up the issue when he took over the charge and after this specific incident he directed for amending the board’s rules. He said after this particular issue all those students who are among top 160 in single attempt would be awarded scholarships. This is a universal phenomenon that the students who top the exam in single attempt are awarded with medals and scholarships, not those who top the exams in more than one attempt.