Under an innovative initiative to ensure fair examinations and reduce cheating, officials in Rawalpindi's Tehsildars, Naib Tehsildars, Gurudwaras, and Patwaris of Punjab's Rawalpindi division were given responsibility for supervising this year's intermediate, FA, and FSC exams for the first time ever.
Background
Waiting on emerging concerns about possible corruption and unfair practices by teachers during exams, the Punjab government implemented a new oversight system aimed at upholding examination integrity while curbing illegal activities commonly associated with groups like booty mafias.
Under the new system, finance officials will supervise examination centers to ensure impartiality and compliance with exam regulations. They will assume responsibility for separate examination centers within their regions under direct supervision from assistant commissioners.
Opposition and Concerns
However, the decision has drawn criticism from various teacher's groups like Punjab Teachers Union, Punjab SES Teachers Association, and Educators Association. Their chief concerns involve patwaris in examination centers as this could create potential complications while calling into question its credibility as an examination process.
Leaders such as Muhammad Shafiq Bhalwalia, Akhian Gul, and Basharat Iqbal Raja have come forward in opposition to this decision by raising concerns over its potential drawbacks as well as calling into question its integrity in light of Patwaris regulating examination procedures.
Conclusion
Although incorporating Tehsildars, Naib Tehsildars, Gurudwaras, and Patwaris into Punjab's examination system is an ambitious shift, concerns from various quarters indicate the necessity of careful implementation as well as dialogue to allay fears while assuaging any fears related to credibility and fairness in exam administration processes.