Sindh Assembly committee suggests 15-20% grace marks for failed Intermediate students

KARACHI: The fact-finding committee formed by the Sindh Assembly has suggested giving grace marks to first-year students who failed the annual examinations of BIEK, between 15 to 20 percent.

This was done after the committee had presented a detailed report to Education Minister Sardar Ali Shah, examining the results, assessment process, and overall academic condition of the Board of Intermediate Education Karachi (BIEK) and affiliated colleges.

 A five-member committee under the leadership of the VC of NED University Dr Sarosh Lodhi was made responsible for exploring the unprecedented poor BIEK results when below 30% of the students cleared their papers. 

The committee invited 20 such students, who failed in their first year and obtained A1 marks at the Martric exams, for testing at the school while in attendance by their parents and went through their examination sheets.

This exercise showed that certain students committed simple mistakes, like writing “Karachi” with a “C” rather than a “K”, and also uncovered several problems with the marking process, including mistakes in totaling marks, and issues at the tabulation and data entry phases.

The committee also raised the issue of disparity between Karachi and other boards, particularly since the syllabus and government-nominated teachers are the same throughout the region.

 To overcome this problem, the committee proposed giving teachers some extra marks in specific subjects, such as 15% in  Physics and Mathematics and up to 20% in Chemistry. 

No grace marks were, however, proposed in Zoology, Botany, Islamic Studies, or Pakistan Studies. The committee’s report and recommendations will now be considered by the relevant assembly committee, which is expected to make a decision soon.

This choice will greatly affect the performance of first-year students in the bi-annual examinations, which start on April 15. The Sindh government has stated that they would consider the recommendations of the committee and make a choice that will offer relief to those students who were hit hard by the low results.