339,000 boys, girls appearing in SSC exams in city

KARACHI: Secondary School Certificate examinations for students of class nine and 10 began on Monday at 382 centres across the city in the morning and 88 centres in the afternoon. In contrast to last year’s 463 examination centres, this year there were only 382 centres to better manage the examinations. “When selecting exam centres, the bigger government schools were preferred as they have less issues of facilities for students,” said chairman of the Board of Secondary Education, Karachi, Prof Anwar Ahmed Zai. The candidates and their centres were also matched according to the area the candidates lived in as no one was to be sent out to a centre which was out of his or her town to appear for the exams.   This year some 339,000 candidates are appearing for their Secondary School Certificate exams of whom 170,000 are class nine students and 171,000 are of class 10. The exams held on day one included subjects of Computer Studies, Braille, Arabic, Persian and Home Economics. All candidates have been given computerised enrolment cards with pictures to prevent impersonators from appearing in their place. Where security was needed, it was provided by the board. There are 112 vigilance teams supervising the exams. Also, the commissioner of Karachi, district commissioners and DIGs may pay surprise visits to any centre during the exams. There are some 40 such teams operating all over the city with 58 teams comprising seniors teachers, too. Section 144 was imposed around and near all examination centres to keep away unwanted visitors. Photocopiers, too, were not allowed to operate in any area where exams were going on. All question papers were taken to the centres by board coordinators and special guards, who also waited till the exams were over to also collect the answer books after the exams.