Karachi: The Chairman Inter Board Karachi and Commissioner Karachi blamed the change in passing criteria and reduced MCQs for the poor results of Intermediate pre-engineering. The controlling authority of the educational boards of Sindh has taken notice of the controversial results of the Karachi Board 22 days after. In this regard, a meeting was held on Wednesday at the Chief Minister’s House, in which the Minister of Education Sindh Rana Hussein, Secretary Universities and Boards Nore Samoon, Secretary Colleges Sadaf Shaikh, Secretary Schools Shireen Nazarjo, Deputy Chairman Inter Board/Commissioner Karachi Saleem Rajput, Chairman Metric Board Karachi Professor Sharif Ali Shah, and other officers of the board participated.
In the meeting, the Minister informed Justice (R) Mukul Baqir on behalf of the Chairman/Commissioner Karachi of the Inter-Board about the data of the first-year intermediate results of the past few years and briefed him that there was no significant difference between the current and previous results of Intermediate Pre-Engineering and other faculties.
The Chief Minister was informed that the previous results were only 7 to 8 percent higher, due to the change in the passing criteria, new textbooks, and reduced MCQs in the exam papers as compared to the past. The Commissioner Karachi tried to give the impression to the Chief Minister that after COVID, the ratio of important MCQs in exam papers was increased to 40 percent, which had increased the ratio of results, and the results continued to come between 43 to 45 percent. However, this time the ratio was reduced to 20 percent in the exam papers, which reduced the ratio of results.
In the meeting, a participating officer informed “Express” that the present administrative of the Inter-Board did not inform the Chief Minister Sindh that before COVID, the ratio of important MCQs in exam papers was also low, but still the ratio of results remained higher than 40 percent.
According to sources, the Chief Minister of Sindh was also informed that more than 6 thousand applications have been received by the board so far, of which 3 thousand have been checked under the scrutiny rules.
During the meeting, the Chief Minister of Sindh asked what we could do to solve this problem, whether the results could be re-examined. To which he was informed that there is no capacity in the board’s calendar, only the controlling authority can edit the rules by calling a provincial cabinet meeting.
Therefore, the controlling authority issued directions in this regard to provide notification for reducing the ratio of MCQs and for additions to it, as well as to inform the paper setters, examiners, and head examiners about the procedure. It was decided in the meeting that another meeting should be held soon in this regard to reach a permanent solution to this issue.