Sindh education authorities have come up with an average mark awarding formula for matriculation and intermediate students, in case examinations get cancelled due to the coronavirus.
The decision was taken during a meeting of Inter Board Committee of Chairman (IBCC) on Monday. It was convened to discuss the way forward during the ongoing situation and was attended by the representatives of seven education boards in Sindh.
During the meeting, the feasibility of conducting examinations during the lockdown was discussed. It was agreed that conducting the examination with physical distancing protocols will be a gigantic task as each examination center houses around 500 to 1000 students.
If physical distancing is practiced, the number of centers will double up, and so will the resources, creating a massive operational challenge for the education department.
The meeting agreed that if exams get postponed, the duration of the examination will be shortened to one hour or one and a half while students will only be given an objective paper based on multiple-choice questions (MCQs).
Moreover, if conducting the examination is impossible, students for matric and intermediate will be awarded average marks on the basis of their results in previous classes (9th and 11th respectively) with a five percent grace marks.
The decision was sent to the Ministry of Education for approval. A final decision in this regard is expected next month during a meeting of the education department’s Steering Committee.
The meeting was attended by the chairmen of Sindh Technical Board, Board of Intermediate Education Karachi, Matriculation Board Karachi, and Board of Matriculation and Intermediate Education Hyderabad. Representatives of the Board of Matriculation and Intermediate Education Sukkur, Larkana, and chairmen of Mirpur Khas attended the meeting via video call.
