CSS conundrum

The Central Superior Services (CSS) examination results announced in September last year shed light on the failure of the country’s education system. The passing percentage of the exam was just over two percent. Of the more than 17000 applicants, only 365 cleared the written test. Of these, only five were from Gilgit-Baltistan.

There are a number of reasons for candidates’ poor perform in the CSS exams. First, the exam is conducted in English, even though the country’s national language is Urdu. Second, the quota system introduced in the 1970s, ensures that less than 10 percent of the candidates are selected purely on merit, while the remaining posts remain reserved for quota-based applicants. Third, as the standard of education in the country is low, tuition culture is on the rise, but most of these places do not prepare students sufficiently for the exams. Keeping all these issues in mind, there is a dire need to revamp the whole system.

Shakir H Shamim

Skardu