Editorial
Political turmoil and public exams
Consider the examinees' plight
BUSINESSES, big and small; office goers, public and private; the common people -- no one is left untouched by countrywide shutdowns, not least of all, students.
Following the hartals enforced in February and May due to which several SSC and HSC exams had to be rescheduled, the current 60-hour shutdown called by the opposition may result in the postponement of Ordinary and Advanced (O' and A') Level exams. As these exams are held simultaneously around the world, their interruption may mean students losing out on the whole session and having to wait for the next available slots allotted internationally by the Cambridge International Examination (CIE) Board.
The impending political turmoil looming in the horizon may cause even greater disruption in the lives of students, including the 50 lakh scheduled to sit for their Primary and Ebtedai and Junior School Certificate (JSC) and Junior Dakhil Certificate (JDC) exams, scheduled to begin in November. Not only are students left unsure of whether or not the exams will be held as scheduled, the political instability and uncertainty also hamper concentration, as well as posing threats to security in their commutes to their study and examination centres.
Along with huge losses to the economy, the futures of lakhs of students are made uncertain due to frequent, prolonged and violent shutdowns. We urge the opposition and all the political parties to take these crucial factors into consideration and choose alternative paths to resistance and, preferably, to settlement of political differences.
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