Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: If O/A level students are allowed to get enrolled in the country’s educational institutions, then Inter Board Committee of Chairmen (IBCC) should give them marks as per their performance instead fertile prescribed formula of the Board that yielded injustice with these students and have adverse effects when apply for higher studies in the country, said Senator Ayesha Raza Farooq.

She said this when Daily Times approached her to inquire about the Call Attention Notice (CAN) submitted by her on the floor of house. Ayesha said that this is sheer discrimination with the brilliant students who intended to get enrolled in fields of medical, engineering or others in the local colleges or universities.

She said that the formula used by IBCC while issuance of equivalence certificates is flawed that needed to be revived. In the CAN, she drew the attention of Inter Provincial Coordination (IPC) minister toward the issue.

Ayesha further revealed that her suggestions were endorsed by both concerned minister for IPC Raiz Peerzada and minter for education Baligh Ur Rehman. They referred the matter to Standing Committee on Education, senator added.

The IBCC is the body established in 1972, with a view to exchange information among member education and textbook Boards, coordination activities of the Boards, achieve fair of uniformity of academics, evaluation and curricula standards and to promote curricula and co-curricular activities on inter board basis.

The IBCC is being functioned under supervision of IPC and it also grants equivalence to foreign qualification with corresponding Pakistani certificates at Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC). It also attests certificates and diplomas, issued by various Boards. Senator Ayesha said that when a brilliant student gets seeks equivalency; he/she could never get significant grades under the current formula of IBCC. She quoted the example of a student of Lahore Board who was topper and got 98 percent marks in the last annual exams of intermediate and secondary education of Lahore Board.

“A genius most student bagged A* marks in the A/O level examination system whereas under the prescribed methodology of marks conversion by IBCC, he/she can’t exceed then 90 percent marks”, she said adding that this discrimination should not be treated with the wretched students.

According to the marks conversion methodology, 90-100 scores are fixed on grade ‘A’ that will be Pakistani equivalent to 85 marks for external exams and 80.75 marks Pakistan equivalent for internal exams. The group of scores 80-89 are fixed on grade ‘B’ that will be Pakistani equivalent to 75 marks for external exams and 71.25 marks Pakistan equivalent for internal exams. The group of scores 70-79 are fixed on grade ‘C’ that will be Pakistani equivalent to 65 marks for external exams and 61.75 marks Pakistan equivalent for internal exams.

Same like, the group of scores 60-69 is fixed on grade ‘D’ that will be Pakistani equivalent to 55 marks for external exams and 52.25 marks Pakistan equivalent for internal exams. The scores 50-59 are fixed on grade ‘E’ that will be Pakistani equivalent to 45 marks for external exams and 42.75 marks Pakistan equivalent for internal exams.

Another stage of 40-49 are fixed on grade ‘F’ that will be Pakistani equivalent to 45 marks for external exams and 38 marks Pakistan equivalent for internal exams.

The last one group of 35-39 is called G/N/P grade and that will be Pakistani equivalent to 35 marks for external exams and 33.25 marks for Pakistan equivalent for internal exams.