Attestation, equivalence, certification: IBCC creates online system

KARACHI: Inter Board Coordination Commission (IBCC) under its comprehensive reform agenda made its entire system of attestation and equivalence certification online with the use of technology-based QR code.

The Secretary of IBCC Dr. Ghulam Ali Mallah while addressing a press conference here on Friday, stated that the use of modern technology will not only make the cumbersome attestation and certification processes fast, easy and cost-effective but it would also enhance the credibility of issued certificates around the world.

He informed that IBCC had held meetings with secondary and intermediate education boards of all the provinces and they assured IBCC of their full cooperation for interlinking the data to ensure implementation of the decisions.

Dr. Mallah informed that after the passing of the IBCC Act, the nomenclature of Inter Board Committee of Chairmen has been changed to Inter Board Coordination Commission while its legal standing has also strengthened.

He said that IBCC has recently implemented a series of extensive reforms aimed at enhancing administrative efficiency, improving examination procedures, and automation of various processes to transform the education system and simplify processes for all stakeholders.

He said that IBCC has transformed the entire equivalence system online in 2021 for the ease of students and later QR code-based equivalence certificates have been introduced to simplify the verification process making it more secure and convenient.

While emphasizing the importance of IT Dr Mallah said that the IBCC has taken significant steps to modernise its processes as the inclusion of all qualifications in the equivalence portal ensures that students could easily access information regarding the equivalence of their qualifications. He hoped that the establishment of a centralised equivalence database with tracking features would allow for efficient record management.

He said that over 5 million students appear in matriculation exams across Pakistan and IBCC attests to the documents and issues equivalence certificates to students intending to go abroad.

Earlier a specific ticket was used for verification of certificates but recently the IBCC introduced verifiable attestation using a QR code that ensures the authenticity and credibility of attested documents and enhances the stakeholders’ trust at the national and international level, he added. Dr. Mallah said that Higher Education Commission has directed universities to get students’ educational certificates attested by IBCC before finalising their admissions. He further informed that IBCC has recommended all the boards of education to utilise the technological advancements to make their procedures simple and swift.

In a shift from absolute marking, the IBCC has introduced a grading scheme for examinations that was aimed at providing a more comprehensive and holistic evaluation of students’ performance, focusing on their overall understanding and skill development rather than just numerical scores, he informed.