BISE Lahore: Five officials arrested as school students caught cheating during exam

Several candidates appearing in the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) Part-I annual examinations were caught red-handed while cheating in Lahore, it emerged on Friday.

The development came after Punjab Minister for School Education Rana Sikandar Hayat paid a surprise visit to an examination centre in Sanda area of Lahore, confirmed his spokesperson.

During the visit, some people were caught giving exams in place of someone else in examination centre, said the minister. He maintained that the centre and other officials of the schools were involved in the cheating during the examinations.

“Nobody can be allowed to play with the future of students,” warned the minister.

Five of the officials, reportedly involved in the “illegal means”, were taken into custody on the directions of the minister, his spokesperson added.

The grade 9 annual examination commenced from 19th of this month.

Private schools in Lahore warned

It is pertinent to mention here that the provincial government, few days back, had warned the owners and principles of private schools in Lahore against forcing parents of students to provide any funds other than monthly school fees or compel them to buy uniforms and books from specifically approved shops.

In its notice to private schools, signed by Lahore Deputy Commissioner Rafia Haider, the District Registration Authority stated: "As per Section 7A(7} and (10) of The Punjab Private Educational Institutions (Promotion and Regulation) Ordinance 1984, the private school can charge the fee only tuition and admission fee and cannot bound the children to purchase the uniform and books from a particular shop or provider."

Haider, who is also the chairperson of the District Registration Authority, has instructed the Education Lahore CEO Pervez Akhtar to issue warning notices to all private educational schools in the district to which he complied, warning all private schools to strictly implement orders.

"I, Rafia Haider, Deputy Commissioner, Lahore/Chairperson, District Registering Authority, am of the considered opinion that the Principal of LACAS School is frankly conceded that he is charging the technology fee other than” tuition and admission fee, and School management ts also bounded the children to purchase the Book and Uniform from their approved three vendors, so, Chief Executive Officer, District Education Authority, Lahore (being Secretary, District Registering Authority) is directed to issue Warning Notice to the LACAS School administration regarding contravention of provisions of ibid Ordinance." she added.

Akhtar, meanwhile, had clarified that if any complaint is received, action will be taken against the said school under clause 9 and 11 of the aforementioned law.