The Board of Secondary Education Karachi (BSEK) is facing strong backlash over its poor management of Class IX Science and General Group results, leaving around 175,000 students uncertain about their academic performance.
According to reports, the board announced the results last week but only shared pass or fail statuses for each subject, withholding detailed subject-wise marks and total scores. BSEK officials later stated that complete mark sheets will take at least two more weeks to be issued. This delay has created serious difficulties for students who need to calculate their percentages, apply for admissions, or plan their next academic steps.
The move has been heavily criticised by students, parents, and educationists alike. Many pointed out that other examination systems such as Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) and Punjab’s education boards issue provisional mark sheets immediately after results are released, offering full transparency.
Ironically, the controversy erupted shortly after Karachi’s education boards held a meeting on digital reforms, including e-marking and a new grading structure. BSEK Chairman Ghulam Hussain Saho, who attended the meeting, discussed the board’s plans for digital transformation. However, the failure to provide even basic digital mark sheets has raised serious doubts about these reform claims.
Sources revealed that BSEK’s IT Manager, Muhammad Irfan, traveled to Islamabad with the chairman right after the results were announced, leaving the new IT analyst, Sain Dad, without proper authority or support to fix technical glitches. Controller of Examinations, Hamza Tagar, who has been in office for just three months, acknowledged the mishandling and promised to resolve the matter.
“We are aware of the issues and are working to resolve them,” Tagar told The Express Tribune. “The IT department has been questioned, and we are committed to ensuring that students will be able to access their marks within a week.”
Education experts have called this another example of systemic mismanagement within Karachi’s education boards. Haider Ali, Chairman of the All Private Schools and Colleges Association, condemned the board’s incompetence, saying, “In Punjab, students receive subject-wise provisional mark sheets instantly. But in Karachi, even the total marks are hidden — this is completely unacceptable.”
Further reports uncovered that Class IX mathematics papers for the Science Group, which were intended to be checked through e-marking, were instead manually evaluated. Despite investing millions in e-marking-compatible answer sheets, BSEK allegedly failed to organize the logistics or hire qualified external examiners, further questioning the credibility of its digital claims.
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The incident has not only shaken students’ trust in BSEK but also exposed the lack of accountability and planning within Karachi’s education system. Experts are urging authorities to take immediate corrective measures and ensure transparency in future examinations.
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