Ministers, officials continue raids on exam centres, but only in Lahore

LAHORE: In the wake of the ongoing Matric (Class-9) Annual Exams 2024, a wave of vigilance has swept across the jurisdiction of Lahore Board alone, though the exam is being held in nine exam boards of Punjab including Lahore simultaneously.

Interestingly, there have been no reports of similar visits by provincial ministers and high government officials in the jurisdictions of other eight Boards of Intermediate & Secondary Education (BISEs), showing a focused effort in Lahore alone to tackle exam malpractice. The disparity raises questions about the emphasis on exam supervision and the extent of its impact.

On Monday the government monitoring teams, including provincial ministers, secretary of the Higher Education Department (HED) Punjab and BISE Lahore officials, conducted surprise visits to multiple exam centres in Lahore again. These visits resulted in catching of several individuals red-handed facilitating cheating in exams.

The monitoring team of Punjab School Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat continued its surprise visits to examination centres and arrested eight persons over their alleged involvement in cheating. The team visited centres in Baghbanpura and Mughalpura areas, where candidates piled up complaints against the invigilation staff. Five people were arrested from Government High School Baghbanpura and three from Government Shalimar College Baghbanpura.

Commissioner/ Chairman Lahore Board Chaudhry Muhammad Ali Randhawa, Secretary Higher Education Dr Farrukh Naveed and Provincial Minister Bilal Yasin also visited various examination centres on Monday during the Mathematics paper.

Dr Farrukh issued instructions to the Controller of Examinations to take action against the superintendent and resident inspector over their poor performance and directed that Scholar’s College should not be made an exam centre in future.The Secondary School Certificate Class IX (1st Annual) Examination 2024 is being held at 854 examination centres, situated in the Lahore Board jurisdiction.

Muhammad Ali Randhawa visited various examination centres including Government Apwa College, Jail Road, 49-Lawrence Road and various private schools and colleges in morning and evening sessions. He checked attendance of the staff appointed according to the Board’s lists and questioned as to how a private individual could be assigned the duty as invigilator whereas he could not even enter the exam centre under the rules.

He said the Board should ensure that the teachers are informed officially about their duties. Action would be taken against those found absent from duty.

The Lahore commissioner directed the Controller of Examinations Mian Muhammad Zahid to inform the chief executive officer (CEO) Education immediately about absence of the superintendents and resident inspectors, as it was their basic responsibility to ensure availability of staff at the exam centres. Secretary Higher Education Dr Farrukh Naveed visited various examination centres including Government ND Islamia High School, Ichhra and Scholar’s College, Shadman.

Minister Bilal Yasin visited various examination centres in Lahore including Government Central Model School Lower Mall, Government Central Model School Rattigan Road and Government Girls High School Devsamaj Road and suspended two superintendents and dismissed six invigilators for violating the rules at the examination centres. He said polio workers and private people had been appointed as invigilators at the examination centres, which was against the law.

The minister issued a show-cause notice to Principal Government Girls High School Devsamaj Road Naila Mumtaz over negligence of duties. Later, he visited examination centre at Government Central Model School Lower Mall and suspended Superintendent Shahzada Usman for appointing a polio worker as an invigilator.

He ordered the CEO Education to conduct an inquiry into the alleged bribery for helping solve the MCQs.The minister also expressed displeasure with CEO Education Pervaiz Akhtar over poor supervision and neglect of duties.