Peshawar BISE introduces reforms to facilitate students

PESHAWAR: The Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) Peshawar has controlled malpractices in the examination system and introduced reforms to redress the grievances of the students and ensure transparency and quick service delivery during the last two years.

The swift service delivery initiatives and automation of almost all the services being offered by the board besides the effective redressal of students’ grievances through the one-window service reduced the rush at the board office.

One can feel the difference during a visit to various sections of the board, which now do not receive so many visitors.

Only a number of students could be seen in the spacious waiting area near the one-window service where almost all the services are provided to the students, parents and other visitors in a convenient and swift manner. BISE Peshawar Chairman Dr Fazlur Rahman in an interview with The News said that paperwork had almost been ended and everything right from registration, admission and till issuance of roll number slips and certificates could be done online easily.

The board recently published a 38-page report about its performance, ongoing projects and future plans.

According to the report, the BISE Peshawar is the first education board in the country that introduced online web portal for students and the general public, which has left a far-reaching impact on the performance of the institution.

All information and processing are provided to students at their fingertips, the report stated.

Almost all the services like registration, enrollment, admission, roll number slips, data collection and computerized draw for supervisory staff, retotaling, migration certificates and others are now available online and one doesn’t need to visit the board for the purpose.

Dr Fazlur Rahman said the migration certificates can now be attained by applying online. “The issuance of original secondary school and higher secondary school certificates, which once took at least three years are now issued within three days of the declaration of the results,” he added.

The board has taken drastic steps to ensure transparency in the examination system, the report said, adding that formal audit was conducted after the declaration of results to identify gaps and disciplinary actions were taken as per rules.

The board also conducted inter-validation of the top 50 students of all the boards in the province to ensure uniformity in marking system and transparency in the declaration of the top position.

A comprehensive report was shared with the chairmen of all the boards to take corrective measures, the report said.

Dr Fazlur Rahman said that the BISE Peshawar was the first board that placed the papers of its top five students on its web portal so that everyone could see it. The report said that to ensure fair play in the examination four tiers of surveillance i.e. supervisory stall, inspectors, monitoring teams and closed-circuit cameras was carried out. Disciplinary actions were taken against supervisory staff for negligence during examinations, the report added. Certain steps were also taken for the convenience of the general public. Duplicate certificates and Detailed Marks Certificates are issued and their verification is done on the spot. Separate counters at the one-window centres have been set up for women and elderly people. About the harassment of women visitors at the board, he said that no girl was now required to visit any section of the board as all their grievances were swiftly redressed by the female staff at the one-window.