LAHORE – Before the start of Matriculation’s practical exams, the sale of readymade practical notebooks have been increased, whereas students’ parents and teachers have also started using the references to get maximum marks in the practical exams.
Students are required to show their notebooks during their practical exam. Over the years, the prices of these notebooks have risen. The price of a practical notebook ranges from Rs 250 to Rs 500, whereas readymade notebooks’ price may go up to Rs 750.
HARD WORK UNDERMINED: Students claim that this practice has been undermining their hard work. They claim that this happens when all the major stakeholders are involved in the malpractice of selling notebooks. Mudaasir, a teacher, said that when the students give their notebooks to the examiner, they do not give them the book back and sell it. He said that according to the board rules these books should be wasted as soon as they have been checked by the examiner. He said that these books were easily available in Urdu Bazaar and other bookstores of the city. Practical exams of matriculation students will start on April 7 and will continue until April 30.
Parents, frustrated over irregularities in the exam system, said they could do nothing while the richer of the lot made arrangements for their children, who through illegal means scored good marks and undermined the hard work of their children. They accused educational institutes in this regard and said that these institutes used illegal means to get their students good marks, improving their reputation as institutes which produces toppers.
A parent said that these notebooks were already expensive and government schools did not guide students how to make notebooks, which tempted the students to go for the readymade books.
Farrukh Kamran, an engineering student who appeared in the matriculation exam few years ago, said that he dedicatedly made his practical notebook but when he went for the practical, he was shocked as some of his classmates bought the readymade notebooks and the entire class got same marks in the exam. He said that making practical notebook was not an easy task and it was the teacher’s job to guide the students.
ACADEMIES MAKE PROFITS: These exams also bring private academies to business. These academies assure students of maximum marks in practicals if they get admitted in their academies. Banners and posters are displayed across the city, making claims such as, ‘practical prep in two weeks at just Rs 2000’. Cost effective exam prep is the current age’s trend. These academies also claim that that they will ask the examiners to give maximum marks as they have links with them.
‘WE ENSURE TRANSPARENCY’: Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) Lahore PRO Qaiser Mehmood told Pakistan Today that the examiners were instructed to waste the notebooks soon after checking them and they were not allowed to sell them under any circumstances. He said that Lahore Board never relaxes and their inspectors were always keen to supervise the examination system in a transparent manner. Preparations for the practical exams have taken place and the roll no slips for practical exams have been given to the students in their examination centers, Qiaser added.
