The 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.
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The Secretary IBCC, Dr. Ghulam Ali Mallah, apprised the minister about the functions, activities, priorities, and future plans of the IBCC.
During the briefing, Shafqat Mahmood suggested that Secretary IBCC should consider conducting all the examinations as MCQs and technology-based assessments.
He also stressed for 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.
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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.
Dr. Mallah added that the IBCC 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.
