PESHAWAR: While hearing the writ petition of a ninth-grade student Wednesday, a division bench of the Peshawar High Court (PHC) has summoned in person the Chairman and Controller of Examinations of the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE), Peshawar, along with the original Biology theory answer sheet and complete academic record of the student, who was allegedly awarded zero marks in the subject due to erroneous checking.
Earlier on August 21, the student Abdul Moiz Khan invoked jurisdiction of the High Court challenging zero marks the Board awarded to him in the Biology-I theory examination. The court asked the controller of examinations of the board to produce the student’s original answer sheet during the next hearing scheduled for Aug 25.
Appearing before the division bench comprising PHC Senior Puisne Judge Ijaz Anwar and Justice Babar Sattar, the BISE counsel Zainul Abideen submitted saying the petitioner’s grievance would be addressed, acknowledging that his Biology-I paper had been wrongly checked and that he was inadvertently awarded zero marks.
Abideen further submitted that the examination papers were assigned computer-generated codes after reaching the board, adding that due to an error, the student’s paper had inadvertently been assigned another number. To which a member of the bench Justice Anwar expressed serious concern over the explanation observing the error had come to light because the student approached the court.
He reprimanded the BISE legal representative, noting that despite the bench’s earlier direction, the original Biology-I paper of the petitioner had not been produced before the court. The court also expressed concern over the repeated complaints brought before it by students regarding errors and negligence on the part of board officials in the preparation of examination results.
While addressing the Board counsel in the matter, Justice Anwar said, “You are playing with the future of children,” adding that such cases continued to come before the court, with students being awarded fewer marks and authorities later attributing the discrepancies to mistakes.
“This student was the son of the lawyer who helped him contest his case in the court,” the senior puisne judge remarked, adding that not every student could afford legal services to take their results-related grievances to the court.
Building on the case, the petitioner’s counsel informed the court that around 1.9 million students had submitted applications for rechecking to the board. He apprised the bench the issue faced by the student was “resolved” by the Board. However, the Bench observed that awarding zero marks to a student in an exam was not a minor matter that could not be resolved so easily and required serious consideration, and directed the board authorities to produce the student’s original examination paper and complete record before the bench at the next hearing.
Addressing the board counsel, the judge said, “This has become a routine for you. We cannot leave the matter like this.” Justice Anwar said action against those responsible was necessary to bring about improvement and directed the chairman and controller of examinations of Peshawar BISE to appear in person during the next court proceedings.
Later, the hearing in the matter was adjourned till September 09.