COVID-19: Pak's Sindh to promote students of grades I-VIII without exams

In view of the COVID-19 crisis, Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani has said that students from classes I to VIII across the province will be promoted to the next grades without having to take the annual examinations, but school administrators can have them take exams on important subjects.

In view of the COVID-19 crisis, Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani has said that students from classes I to VIII across the province will be promoted to the next grades without having to take the annual examinations, but school administrators can have them take exams on important subjects. To decide the fate of students appearing for the annual exams of the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC), the relevant steering committee has constituted another committee, The News reported on Tuesday.

The body comprises chairpersons of public education boards, representatives of private boards, including the Aga Khan University Examination Board and Ziauddin University Examination Board, the college education secretary, and a representative of the universities and boards department. The committee has been tasked with preparing its report within 24 hours and present it to Ghani. "I will present the report to the National Coordination Committee [NCC], and whatever it decides will be implemented in the province," said the education minister.

"The Sindh government won't take even 1 percent risk in the matter of children's health. If the COVID-19 situation continues to remain the same, we'll close all educational institutions for five years, but an alternative mode of education will be introduced," he added. The steering committee's meeting was chaired by Ghani and attended by School Education Secretary Syed Khalid Haider Shah, College Education Secretary Baqir Naqvi, chairpersons of exam boards, representatives of private schools' associations and others.

The meeting continued for more than two hours and discussed in detail the matters related to the academic year, end of holidays, exams, and other education-related issues. Ghani told a news conference after the meeting of the steering committee that two days ago the federal education minister had said in the NCC meeting that the SSC and HSSC exams would not be conducted and all students would be promoted to the next grade.

However, no decisions have been taken to reopen schools in June, Ghani added. "We've also completed preparations for the provision of online education in government schools and started working for the provision of education in remote villages and hamlets where there is no internet facility." 

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