Exam fee for Punjab govt schools abolished

Inter & secondary government schools for regular students
Lahore, July 17: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has
finally ordered abolition of registration and examination fees being charged by all the eight boards of intermediate and secondary education from regular students of only government schools in the province.

At a follow-up meeting on Thursday, regarding implementation of decisions taken in the previous meetings, Mr Sharif asked his secretary to immediately approve the summary forwarded by the higher education department.

Acting higher education secretary Ahad Khan Cheema said the department would notify the fee abolition as soon as it would receive the approved summary.

As the chief minister had announced stern action against the colleges showing zero per cent results in the Punjab University BA, BSc examinations on Wednesday, the higher education department has decided to issue show-cause notices to principals of all such colleges.

Mr Cheema said the department would also determine a benchmark for colleges' pass percentage and issue show-cause notices to those principals of the institutions as well that had shown less than the target pass percentage.

At the meeting, the chief minister said it was shocking to know that some colleges in BA/BSc exams had shown zero per cent results. He also called for a separate briefing on the pathetic performance of these institutions.

The CM also asked the higher education department and boards' officials to keep a vigilant eye on activities of 'booti' mafia.

"In case of any irregularity in the affairs of boards, not only chairman, secretary and controller of examinations concerned will be removed from their posts, the higher education secretary will also be held accountable for the lapse."