SHC gives relief to 29 students, BSEK douses hope for the rest

KARACHI – Students of Abdullah Faysal School, Shah Faisal Colony have been saved in the nick of time: the Board of Secondary Education Karachi (BSEK) had barred them from taking their Secondary School Certificate (SSC) Part I & II exams over a wrangle with the school administration, but a Sindh High Court (SHC) division bench on Monday ordered the Board to allow 29 students of the school to appear in SSC Part I examinations that start from today (Tuesday) even without any admit cards.
The SHC decision, however, gave a ray of hope to many others as they rang the BSEK office to confirm whether they would be allowed to take their examinations, and if so, at which centre. The majority of these students could not submit their exam forms before the BSEK deadline, and many assumed that they would also be given relief. The BSEK doused any such expectations, with the Board’s acting chairman, Anwar Ahmed Zai, arguing that while court orders will be complied with, “not a single” examination form will be entertained now as all deadlines have lapsed.
The row between Abdullah Faysal School and the BSEK has its roots in the admit card fiasco of last year: students from three schools had protested outside the Board office last year after not receiving their admit cards and had also ransacked property inside. “BSEK Chairman Anzar Hussain Zaidi, who is currently on a month-long leave, had written letters to the management of the three schools. While two schools responded to the BESK charges, Abdullah Faysal School’s management did not respond,” narrated Zai.
Abdullah Faysal School’s affiliation was subsequently suspended, but the BSEK had collected students’ examination forms from them. The acting chairman said that the Abdullah Faysal School administration had submitted students’ exam forms and the Board had also accepted these forms, but after Zaidi suspended the school’s affiliation, admit cards were not issued. The Board’s refusal to allow students to appear in the annual exams prompted at least 29 students to move the SHC against the BSEK.
On Monday, though, an SHC division bench presided by Justice Shahid Anwar Bajwa had directed the BSEK management to allow students of Abdullah Faysal School to take the SSC Part-I annual examinations, even without their admit cards.