PESHAWAR: Recent matriculation exams in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been embroiled in a series of controversies, with reports of paper leaks continuing to emerge. Now, it has been revealed that some students in the region were allowed to re-solve their papers, further complicating the situation.
These shocking disclosures have occurred amidst other controversial incidents relating to the examinations in various districts, such as Peshawar, Malakand, Bannu, Waziristan and Dera Ismail Khan. The latest is the serious irregularity in the conduct of matric examinations held through Abbottabad Board, further aggravating an existing controversy over these examinations in the province.
According to Mashriq TV report, some students were discovered solving their answer sheets once more in the evening on the same day when they gave their examinations. It should be mentioned that in keeping with the examination policy of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Abbottabad Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education had earlier constituted permanent teams for preventing cheating in the examinations.
At the time of the incident, a paper on mathematics, meant for the ninth grade, was being held under the supervision of the Abbottabad Board. In the course of the examination, the observation teams visited different examination centers. After the examination was over, the answer sheets were packaged according to the set procedure. But soon thereafter, the Deputy Commissioner of Lower Kohistan was informed that students from a private institution had solved the papers again. Action was taken immediately, but the students ran away, leaving behind some answer sheets.
According to the Controller of Examinations, the Chairman of the Abbottabad Board had formed a committee of inquiry for the purpose.
SSC Exam: Biology paper leaked, goes viral on Social Media
Earlier, the ongoing matriculation examinations under the Peshawar Board are facing a new wave of controversy due to the frequent leakage of question papers. On Tuesday, the Biology paper allegedly went viral on social media while the examination was still in progress, with solved Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) being widely shared among students and private groups.
This incident follows a troubling trend, as earlier this week, the Islamic Studies and Urdu papers were also leaked ahead of their scheduled times. These repeated breaches have sparked significant criticism of the Education Board for its apparent inability to maintain examination integrity and protect the confidentiality of the papers.
In response to the allegations, the Chairman of the Peshawar Board announced that an investigation is currently underway to determine the source and timing of the leak. The Board has already suspended 17 teachers and supervisory staff due to previous irregularities. The Chairman suggested that a potential loophole in the current system may be exacerbating the issue: some students are allowed to leave the examination hall after submitting their papers during “half-time,” which could facilitate the rapid digital dissemination of exam content.
