The annual examinations for 9th and 10th grade students began across the city on Friday. For nearly 385,000 students, this day marked the culmination of a year’s hard work, hopes, and aspirations. The Board of Secondary Education Karachi has established 520 examination centers, while 25 hub centers across 18 towns have been set up to ensure the smooth and timely delivery of question papers.
Authorities have promised strict monitoring. Section 144 has been imposed around examination centers to maintain order, mobile phones are completely banned, and even nearby photostat shops stay shut to prevent any chance of cheating.
A special reporting cell was activated at the board office, and vigilance teams were assigned to keep a close watch, submitting daily reports. K-Electric had also been instructed not to carry out loadshedding during the exam hours, ensuring students would not suffer due to power outages.
Despite these measures on paper, the reality on the ground painted a different picture. Outside some government schools, anxious students and frustrated parents gathered early in the morning. Many students were shocked to discover that their examination centers had been changed overnight without proper communication. Some had travelled long distances, only to be told they were at the wrong location.
“I studied all year for this day,” said one student, his admit card clutched tightly in his hand. “Now they are telling me I cannot sit for the exam here. Where am I supposed to go?”
The parents joined in protest, urging authorities to allow their children to take the exam rather than lose an entire academic year due to what they called administrative negligence. The situation grew tense as students pleaded with officials, fearing their future was slipping away.
Inside several examination halls, another challenge awaited. In some classrooms, basic facilities like fans were either missing or non-functional. Sweat dripped from foreheads as students struggled to concentrate on their papers under the scorching conditions.
The matriculation board maintained that all arrangements were in place and denied any loadshedding during the exam hours. However, students on the ground felt otherwise, describing the experience as both physically and mentally exhausting.
