*LHC orders Higher Education secretary to evolve policy for underage students
The Lahore High Court (LHC) Wednesday ordered Punjab Higher Education secretary to evolve a policy for the registration of underage intelligent students of Class 9.
Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah passed the orders on a petition filed by three underage students Hira, Khalil Fatima and Hassan Sattar challenging the board registration rules for Class 9. The court also directed the Faisalabad Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) to register the petitioners temporarily.
Earlier, the petitioners counsel argued before the court that the petitioners passed Class 8 examinations with 90 percent marks but BISE refused to register them for Class 9 examinations for being underage.
He pleaded the court to order the board to register the petitioners.
However, BISE Faisalabad’s counsel told the court that those students less than 13-years of age could not be granted registration as per policy but that the petitions should be forwarded to Higher Education secretary to review the matter.
The court ordered temporary registration of the petitioners and directed to hold a meeting of education boards’ chairmen and experts for the purpose and adjourned the matter till November 27.