Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mehmood has on Sunday said that despite being pressurized over the cancellation of exams by the students, all provincial educational ministers agreed that exams will take place as per schedule.
Shafqat Mehmood in his recent remarks said that it is not his place to make decisions related to exams as such decisions are taken by medical experts.
He said that Cambridge examinations will start tomorrow as per the schedule, adding that the government will ensure that all coronavirus standard operating procedures (SOPs) are strictly followed in the examination halls.
— Shafqat Mahmood (@Shafqat_Mahmood) April 25, 2021
— Shafqat Mahmood (@Shafqat_Mahmood) April 25, 2021
“We are closely monitoring the situation and [action will be initiated] if the SOPs are violated during the exams,” the minister said.
Answering a question related to the growing number of coronavirus cases in the country, the minister said that the health of the citizens always comes first but since a small number of students are taking the Cambridge exams in Pakistan, the National Command Operations Centre (NCOC) suggested to conduct exams.
“The decision was taken in view of the fact that the number of students taking the Cambridge exams is small, therefore, SOPs can be managed,” the minister said.
“I even wanted matric and intermediate classes to continue so that exams could be held,” he said. “However, the NCOC went against that suggestion in the light of citizens’ health.”
The minister said that Cambridge even gave the option to students in Pakistan to take the exams in the October/ November session without having to pay any additional fee.
“The only exception applied to AS level students who wish to apply to foreign universities and need their grades [before the deadlines],” he said.
Moreover, Mehmood also said that matriculation and intermediate examinations will be held in the third or fourth week of May.
Previously, Shafqat Mehmood took to Twitter and announced that Cambridge International Exams will take place as per the schedule.
He also shared a notification issued by the Cambridge Assessment International Education regarding the decision.
