Education Minister instructs IBCC to hold SSC & HSSC exams on time across Pakistan

Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood has instructed the Inter Board Committee of Chairmen (IBCC) to take measures to ensure the uninterrupted progression of the academic year from August 2021 onwards, and to hold the SSC and HSSC examinations in May and June 2021.

The minister issued these directives during a visit to the IBCC Secretariat in Islamabad. Parliamentary Secretary Education Wajiha Akram, Federal Secretary Education Farah Hamid Khan, and Additional Secretary Education Mohyuddin Wani, accompanied the minister on the visit.

Secretary IBCC Dr. Ghulam Ali Mallah informed the minister about the functions, activities, priorities, and the future plans of the Board.

During the briefing, the education minister suggested that the Secretary IBCC should consider conducting all the examinations as MCQs and technology-based assessments.

He also stressed minimization of rote learning and fostering a culture of analytical thinking and reasoning among the students.

The minister also suggested inviting the SSC and HSSC high-achievers to Islamabad to meet with the President and Prime Minister of Pakistan.

He also praised the IBCC’s proposal to introduce Alternative to Practical (ATP) along with theory examinations for the SSC and HSSC, adding that the Pakistan Institute of Education (PIE) will train the officers of all the boards for the enhancement of their evaluation skills.

Furthermore, Dr. Mallah informed Shafqat Mahmood that the IBCC had recently initiated online verification of equivalency certificates and attestation of certificates. It has also partnered with a courier company to collect and return the applications for equivalence and the attestation of certificates from the homes of the students.

The Secretary IBCC added that the Board is making efforts to print QR codes on equivalence certificates to ensure that their quality remains uncompromised.

He concluded that the IBCC is also working to automate all of its processes to increase transparency and improve its delivery of services.