Sindh's schools to open from March 9 for admit card collection: education minister

Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani on Saturday said that schools will be open March 9 onwards so that admit cards for the upcoming Matriculation exams can be collected.

The minister clarified that the schools in this period will only be open for the purpose of card collection, not for regular classes, which will start on March 16.

He urged the staff members of both government and private institutions to ensure their presence at school beginning March 9 and to collect the admit cards from the Board of Secondary Education (BSE).

Ghani also provided important dates for the upcoming academic year. He said that the new academic year will begin on April 15. Summer holidays will begin on May 1 and will end on July 15, he added.

He said that beginning 2021, the new academic year will begin on April 1 and there will also be a change in schedule for summer holidays.

In this regard, he directed the Sindh Textbook Board to ensure the supply of textbooks to students in April.

Speaking of the rules and regulations regarding examinations, Ghani said that irrelevant persons should be present at the exam centres. He said this ban extended to mediapersons, who shall no longer be allowed to enter such venues.

He said that the use of mobile phones, smart phones and handsfree will be prohibited at the exam venue.

“Any phone that is found in the possession of a student will be confiscated,” warned Ghani, adding: “Any teacher who is found facilitating students in cheating will be fired.”

The education minister said that any student caught cheating will be unable to sit in any of their exams.

He said that a policy to safeguard against the leaking of exam papers is being developed.