SHC seeks rationale behind including board marks in MDCAT

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday directed the provincial boards and universities secretary to provide a detailed mechanism regarding the examinations conducted by the boards in the province.

The direction came on petition against irregularities and leakage of test papers of the medical and dental colleges admission test (MDCAT). The petitioners, who had appeared for MDCAT, challenged the validity of the test results on the grounds that they were tainted by examination paper leakage. They alleged that the administration of the MDCAT was complicit in facilitating access to select candidates by providing them with the leaked examination papers.

The petitioners asserted that there was substantial evidence indicating that, following the paper leakage, certain students achieved exceptionally high scores, with marks reaching as high as 199 out of 200.

A division bench of the SHC headed by Justice Salahuddin Panhwar observed that it was a matter of record that board examination scores were also factored into the admission process, with a weightage of 50 per cent. The bench observed that the parents of students were resorting to various means to secure maximum marks in the board examinations to meet the admission criteria and this practice was undermining the integrity of oureducation system.

The SHC remarked that such nefarious activities had been jeopardising the future of our young generations. The high court directed the petitioners to submit a comprehensive breakdown of all the total marks obtained by the candidates that exceeded 190.

The high court directed the boards and universities secretary to provide a detailed mechanism regarding the examinations conducted by the boards in the province as it was noted that in other provinces, these tests were outsourced by the boards.

The SHC also directed the secretary to elucidate the rationale for considering board marks, particularly given that the MDCAT test was administered independently by the universities, which sufficed to assess the candidates' capabilities.

The bench observed that the imposition of a 50 per cent weightage for both board marks and MDCAT results placed undue pressure on parents, leading to unethical practices by certain individuals, thereby depriving deserving students of their rightful admission to universities.

The high court asked the boards secretary why the board marks should not be exempted from the admission criteria. It also directed the secretary to provide a detailed breakdown of all the universities in the province specifically addressing whether institutions such as the NED University and others had been admitting students to various faculties without considering board marks in their independent admission tests.

The high court directed the federal and provincial governments to submit justifications for delegating the authority to assess candidates' competencies to a testing agency. It observed that this responsibility should reside with the universities, which ought to conduct tests in accordance with their own bylaws and standards.

The SHC observed that the role of the testing agency should be limited to administering the test and collecting fees. The bench issued notices to federal and provincial law officers, Pakistan Medical and Dental Council, Higher Education Commission and others and directed them to file comprehensive overview of the various educational boards operating across Pakistan, accompanied by a comparative analysis of the syllabi variations prevalent in all provinces.

The SHC observed that this information shall provide the court with a holistic understanding of the educational landscape and the disparities in curricular standards. The bench observed that the Sindh secretary for boards and universities shall engage in consultations with representatives from the Institute of Business Administration Karachi (IBA) and Aga Khan University to ascertain their willingness and capacity to conduct future examinations. The high court observed that this collaborative effort shall explore alternative examination mechanisms that could potentially enhance the integrity and fairness of the assessment process.

The SHC directed the secretary of boards and universities for the province to provide a comprehensive explanation for the decision not to adopt the examination outsourcing mechanisms utilised by the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab.

It observed that this explanation shall include a detailed rationale behind the current practices in Sindh, as well as an assessment of the potential implications for the overall quality of education.

The court observed that secretary of boards and universities shall also reach out to the chairman of the Aga Khan Board and IBA director to solicit their expertise and insights regarding the existing examination mechanisms. The court observed that these institutions inputs shall assist the court in understanding the best practices and identifying potential areas for improvement.

The SHC also directed the chief secretary, health secretary and PMDC president to appear in person before the court to explain the issues in detail. The high court also asked vice chancellors of Jinnah Sindh Medical University Karachi, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences Jamshoro and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University to appear in person for assistance.