Class 8 exams

LAHORE
The examination of science paper of class 8th conducted by the Punjab Examination Commission started across the province on Saturday.
While most of the exam centres across the province could not receive all six versions of the question paper, the overall arrangements were seen improved unlike class 5th exams which had caused problems to students appearing in the exam.
Around one million candidates of the province had registered for the class 8th exam. There were few reports vis-à-vis mistakes in the roll number slips issued to the candidates.
Meanwhile, addressing a press conference at the Directorate of Staff Development (DSD), the Punjab Education Minister Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan lauded efforts of the PEC for conducting one of the largest exams in the world with what he termed best possible arrangements.
While ignoring the plight of around 1.2 million candidates who had faced problems in recent class 5th exams, the minister said the exams were conducted in a “professional” manner.
Mashhood also said improvement in the PEC exams was a continuous process which was aimed to achieve international standards in assessment. He said around 2.2 million candidates had registered for class 5th and class 8th exams for whom 12,000 exam centres were established while around 125,000 teachers were engaged in the exam duties. He further said the cost of printing per paper was Rs 1.49 in past which was brought down to Rs 1.3 this year.
Secretary Schools Abdul Jabbar Shaheen and PEC chief executive officer Nasir Iqbal Malik were also present on the occasion.
To a question Nasir said he was not drawing Rs 300,000 per month salary as reported in media. The paper of mathematics of class 8th is scheduled for Monday (tomorrow).