LHC issues notice to Ministry of Education and British Council

In response to a petition challenging the government's decision to conduct on-campus exams for O and A Level students despite the growing threat of COVID-19 in the region, the Lahore High Court has sent notices to the British Council, the Pakistan Director of Cambridge, and the Federal Ministry of Education.

Also Read: Covid-19 infections among children in Islamabad cross 7,000 mark

Several Cambridge students have appealed the decision to the Lahore High Court through Barrister Hassan Khan Niazi. Aside from the raging pandemic in Pakistan, they say that O-Level and A-Level classes were not conducted for the entire academic year and that the syllabus was incomplete.

They also claimed that, amid these circumstances, the government wants CIE students to physically participate in exams, putting their lives and the lives of their families in danger.

The petitioners also pointed out that Cambridge had offered countries with many COVID-19 cases two options: conventionally conduct the exams or encourage candidates to use their school-based grades. Pakistan's government seems to have chosen the first alternative, which puts students' lives and futures in jeopardy.

It stated that the deadline for countries to notify Cambridge of their decisions is April 17th and that the exams will begin on May 4th for O-Levels and April 26th for A-Levels.

The plaintiffs claimed that the Ministry of Education and local governments could avoid this by demanding Cambridge's school-assessed grades.

Also Read: Exams to start for Classes Prep to 8 Across Pakistan

They also asked the court to intervene and order the government to ask the British Council and Cambridge to shift to school-based grades not to jeopardize the candidates' wellbeing.