Board staff strike: SSC exams may not be held on schedule

RAWALPINDI, Annual examination for secondary school certificate (SSC) may not be held according to schedule on March 13 because of strike of the employees of Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE).

Even the initial scrutiny of the applications forms of the candidates could not be completed because of the strike over the withdrawal of admission fee from students of public institutions.

Workers of BISE Rawalpindi here on Monday blocked the 6th Road in front of their office and continued their protest against provincial government’s decision of the wavering the examination fees.

The workers fear that the decision will make the board financially vulnerable and have demanded the chief minister Punjab to take measures to rescue the examination bodies from going bankrupt as admission fees were not being received this year.

Talking to Dawn, BISE Employees Welfare Association general secretary Mehr Muhammad Akbar said the board usually started distributing roll number slips to the students two weeks before the starting the start of matriculation examination. He said the process was stalled because of the strike.

He said the government instead of resolving the issue was considering conducting the SSC examination by hiring university teachers and clerks from other departments if the strike continued.

Mr Akbar said government should redress grievances of the employees and that the examination conducted by the outsiders would not be successful as, he added, there were few days to prepare for the exercise.

He said about 124, 000 students had submitted examination forms with the board and it had to set up over 400 examination centers in four districts, besides arranging to convey question papers and answering sheets to the examination staff.

The representative of the board employees said they met Punjab Education Minister Mian Shujahur Rehman four days ago and the minister had assured them to arrange their meeting with the CM. But, no response has yet come from the minister.

Expressing solidarity with the staff of the BISE, representatives of Punjab Teachers Union announced that no school teacher would perform duties for upcoming SSC examinations across the province.

Finance Department denies BISE more funds

Lahore, The Punjab Finance Department on Thursday turned down a request by the Education Department for the provision of Rs 750 million as a supplementary grant to meet the expenditures of the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE).

In December 2009, employees of various unions, along with BISE workers, observed a complete pen-down strike and held protests. They were protesting the Punjab chief minister’s (CM) announcement regarding the abolition of examination and registration fees for students of public sector educational institutions.

They claimed that since the educational boards were autonomous bodies and generated revenue on their own, the CM’s decision would have an adverse financial impact on education boards.

President for Employees Association BISE, Muhammad Aslam, said the protest would continue until the government provided funds to the Education Department. “The government should either reverse the decision or provide funds immediately; otherwise, no exams would be conducted,” he said.

BISE pen-down strike threatens matric exams

Lahore, Employees of the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) Lahore on Wednesday observed a pen-down strike and demonstrated in front of the BISE building.

The employees shouted slogans against the government for not issuing a grant to the education department in relation to the payment of the matriculation examination fees. They demanded the government releases grants for payment of the fees immediately as promised, instead of abolishing the cost requirement altogether.

Earlier this week, the Employees Welfare Union of BISE had threatened to boycott the upcoming matriculation examinations.

In December 2009, employees of various unions, along with BISE members, observed strikes and protested against the announcement of the Punjab chief minister (CM) regarding the abolition of examinations and registration fees for students of public sector educational institutions.

They claimed that since the educational boards were autonomous bodies and generated revenue on their own, the CM’s decision would have an adverse financial impact on education boards.