The annual matriculation examinations have kicked off across multiple education boards in Sindh, including Sukkur, Larkana, Mirpurkhas, and Kandiaro.

The exams, which encompass classes 9 and 10, are being held under the auspices of their respective education boards, but concerns over cheating and examination malpractice have surfaced early on.

In Sukkur, Ghotki, and Khairpur, more than 105,077 male and female students are participating in the exams conducted by the Sukkur Secondary Education Board. Board Chairman Rafiq Palh personally visited several examination centres and apprehended over 10 students involved in cheating.

Despite the efforts of the board administration, concerns about cheating persist, with videos of simulations in various exam centres circulating on social media.

The Sukkur board administration has set up 200 examination centres and formed 30 teams to monitor them. The first English exam is being conducted today from class 9 students, while the students of class 10 will sit the Urdu and easy Sindhi papers in the afternoon.

Similarly, the Larkana Education Board has established 172 examination centres across the division, with 42 raid teams formed to prevent cheating.

As the class 9 candidates sit the exam on the first day, reports indicate that the board has failed to curb examination malpractice, with instances of cheating observed in some centres. The district administration officials visited various examination centres to monitor the situation closely.

In Mirpurkhas, where exams for classes 9 and 10 are underway, 96 examination centres have been set up, accommodating more than 62,800 students. Despite the efforts to prevent cheating, reports suggest that students have been obtaining solved papers through mobile phones, highlighting the challenges faced by the education board in maintaining exam integrity.

The board chairman said 12 vigilance teams, headed by the controller of examinations, will monitor the exams. He also requested to enforce Section 144 around the examination centres and said vigilance teams, including law enforcement agencies, have been asked for special monitoring of highly sensitive centres.

Meanwhile, in Kandiaro, under the Shaheed Benazirabad Board, concerns over examination malpractice have been raised as the first paper of Urdu was leaked within 10 minutes of the exam, raising questions about the security of the examination process. The first paper was scheduled from 9am to noon.

Additionally, despite efforts to keep photocopy shops near the examination centres closed, reports indicate that question papers and answers were still being sold, raising concerns about the integrity of the examination process.

As the annual examinations continue, education boards and authorities are urged to take swift action to address the challenges posed by copying and examination malpractice to ensure the fairness and credibility of the examination system.