Peshawar: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah chaired a high-level meeting to address transparency in matriculation exams. The meeting, attended via video link by the Education Secretary, all divisional commissioners, chairpersons of educational boards, and district education officers, focused on ensuring merit-based exams. Chief Secretary Shah emphasized that matric exams play a crucial role in shaping students’ futures, and the government is committed to reforms in the examination system.
To eliminate cheating, examination duties will be assigned strictly on merit. The Education Monitoring Authority (EMA), district administration, and the Special Branch will actively oversee the exams, with CCTV cameras installed where necessary. Grade 18 and higher-ranking officers will monitor the examinations, while assistant commissioners, instead of tehsildars, will inspect exam halls to prevent external interference. Officials with questionable records will not be assigned examination duties, and real-time monitoring will be conducted by EMA teams with daily reporting.
Strict action will be taken against those facilitating cheating, with no leniency for those involved. Exam halls in private educational institutions will be completely banned to prevent irregularities. Furthermore, student migrations between institutions after February 1 have been prohibited to stop unfair advantages through unnecessary transfers. Authorities will also conduct raids on stationery shops and photocopy centers near exam centers found selling cheating materials.
Cheating is undermining the education system, and the government is determined to implement a transparent and fair examination process to nurture capable and talented students for the country’s future, Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah asserted.
