250 centres set up for matric exams: Chairman BSEK

As many as 250 examination centers have been set up for holding Annual Matriculation Examinations 2012, scheduled to be held from April 5, 2012, where all necessary facilities would be provided to the candidates, said Professor Mohammad Saeed Siddiqui, Chairman Board of Secondary Education Karachi (BSEK) here on Monday.
Addressing a news conference at board office, Chairman BSEK said that cheating culture had taken a chronic shape in examination system which needed surgical measures on war footings to safe the future of the country. "We are endeavouring to make the examination process transparent, besides decimating the cheating menace from the system," he said, adding that honest and fair superintendents have been assigned the supervision of the examination centers.
He said Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) has assured that load shedding would not be carried out at the centers during examination from 8am to 1pm. Professor Saeed further said that Matric Board has given preference to government schools and colleges for establishing examination centers.
"We have constituted a monitoring committee comprising Director Private Schools and officials of Sindh Education Department who will pay surprise visits at examination centers," he added. He maintained that Center Control Officers (CCOs), board officials and armed guards would be deployed at sensitive examination centers especially during the distribution of question papers among the candidates. CCOs have been given strict instructions that they should stay at examination centers till the culmination of papers besides they would bring the answer transcripts to board under their supervision, he added.
On the occasion, Controller Examination Rafia Mallah said the Matric Board had made all preparation to conduct the examinations. "We have set up an extra separate centre for boys and girls in every town," she informed, adding that centre would be black listed if board received complains of cheating from the said centre.
Black listed schools would not be made an examination centre, she told media persons. She said that board had requested the Sindh Government to award prize money for position holders following the pattern of Punjab Government. "We requested to give away Rs 0.5million for Ist position, Rs 0.3 million and Rs 0.2 million for second and third position, respectively," she added. Rafia said that more 0.3 million candidates would appear in the ninth and tenth classes annual examination including Science and General Groups both regular and private.