BSEK chairman resigns following allegations of mismanagement of Karachi matric exams

KARACHI: Ghulam Hussain Soho has tendered his resignation as the Board of Secondary Education Karachi (BSEK) chairman, it emerged on Tuesday, following reports of irregularities and mismanagement in the board.

He handed in his resignation late on Monday to the secretary of the Universities and Boards Department, Abbas Baloch, after learning that a committee report suggested his suspension as the BSEK head.

A committee formed on the directives of Sindh Universities and Boards Minister Muhammad Ismail Rahoo completed its report, revealing that BSEK’s administrator made changes to 170 examination centres during the ongoing matric examinations.

The report also recommended that the BSEK chairman be suspended. Learning this, Soho resigned himself.

According to sources, Soho, in his resignation, wrote that he had tried to reform the BSEK.

This, he noted, included measures such as the complete automation of the system, online payments, grievance redressal system and training of examination staff, which he contended did not sit well with his staff who would not allow any improvements in the Board.

Notably, in a post on Facebook today, the BSEK affirmed that Soho “remains dedicated to strengthening the educational system and ensuring better opportunities for every student”.

The annual Secondary School Certificate (SSC) exams commenced for over 385,529 students at 521 examination centres across Karachi on April 10, after a brief postponement due to admit cards not being issued to many students.

Late last month, multiple incidents of cheating, paper leaks and other irregularities surfaced in Karachi, exposing the incompetence of the BSEK, which had been claiming a “zero tolerance” against such practices.

In Orangi Town, some private schools did not even send their candidates to officially designated centres and instead arranged unauthorised venues with fake permits to facilitate cheating.

BSEK officials said that hundreds of students had been caught cheating and disciplinary action had been initiated against them. The centre superintendent at a government school in Malir and another in PECHS were also suspended.

Rahoo had conducted surprise visits to multiple examination centres, warning that those found involved in malpractice could face blacklisting from appearing in board examinations.