ISLAMABAD: Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood has announced that the government has issued a no-objection certificate (NOC) to the British Council to conduct “special” O-level exams in July-August.
Taking to Twitter, the education minister said, “We issued a NOC today to British Council allowing it to hold special O level exams from July 26 to August 6,” adding that the decision will facilitate O level students to start their A level or FA/FSc studies from September.
We issued an NOC today to British Council allowing it to hold special O level exams from July 26 to August 6. This will facilitate O level students to start A level or FA/Fsc from September. This kind of exam in July is unprecedented and I am happy that Cambridge is arranging it pic.twitter.com/bYIikHAECD
— Shafqat Mahmood (@Shafqat_Mahmood) May 27, 2021
“This kind of exam in July is unprecedented and I am happy that Cambridge is arranging it,” Mahmood added. The government had earlier postponed O-level exams amid a surge in coronavirus cases and deaths.
A letter shared by the minister that was sent to the country director of British Council-Pakistan stated that the agency “is fully authorised to conduct [a] mini exam series from July 26, 2021, to August 6, 2021, subject to all approved/notified Covid-19 SOPs existing for ‘A’ level [exams]”.
In another tweet, the education minister said that the Covid-19 pandemic has created immense difficulties in all walks of life but specially in education.
This pandemic has created immense difficulties in all walks of life but specially in education. We have been taking difficult decisions to ensure that education/ learning continues. Every decision has pros and cons but for us the interest/welfare of students is always paramount
— Shafqat Mahmood (@Shafqat_Mahmood) May 27, 2021
“We have been taking difficult decisions to ensure that education/ learning continues. Every decision has pros and cons but for us the interest/welfare of students is always paramount,” he added.
In late April, the education minister had announced that no examinations would take place in the country until June 15 as COVID-19 cases and deaths were on a rise.
Earlier, Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) had cancelled all examinations in the region without an adequate promotion mechanism. As per the decision, the country’s O level students had little option but to waste an academic year and reappear in the October/ November session of examinations.
With enrolments surpassing over 50,000 O and A level students across various educational institutions, Pakistan remains one of the highest revenue-making countries for CAIE— the largest international examination service in the country.
Examinations across the country
A week later, the federal government decided to conduct the board examinations across the country after June 20 “at all costs” with strict implementation of COVID-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs).
Shafqat Mahmood said that there would be no promotions to the next class without the examinations. “Class 9 and 11 exams will take place according to the timetable of the respective boards,” he said.
The decision to hold the exams was taken during the Inter-Provincial Education Ministers Conference (IPEMC), chaired by Mahmood. The meeting was attended by all the provincial education ministers as well as different secretaries via video link.
