JI Senator Mushtaq Ahmad lashes out at O-level, A-level exam system

Strongly criticizing the country’s education system, Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) said on Wednesday that despite the fact billions of rupees of the government were spent on the O-level and A- level examinations, still it had no data of the number of students taking these exams, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Speaking in the Senate, he called the parliament a ‘rubber stamp’. “The parliament should not be a debating club; rather it should be the forum where decisions concerning the country’s future are taken,” he asserted.

“I have been asking for the data for the last three years,” he said, adding, “But unfortunately, the government does not have it.”

On the other hand, the senator said, the British Council and the UK Embassy in the country had refused to share with him details of these students. “This means that this is their secret business and they want to conceal from us their earnings from it,” he said, and added, “Unfortunately there is no check in Pakistan.”

Members annoyed over performance

Earlier, members of Senate Standing Committee on Education expressed their displeasure over the poor performance of the committee.

In this regard, member committee Senator Mehr Taj Roghani expressed her anger while criticising on the performance of Ministry of Education and the Senate Standing Committee on Education which held its last meeting on Wednesday.

She said this agenda does not include anything new and even she has not been able to make progress on her bill for six years. “I am sorry that our words will not carry weight and I accept my failure,” she said.

She said it is okay to answer before God, but what about the world? “I am leaving the Senate after failing in front of the world, I am sorry.”

Speaking in the last meeting of committee Senator Mushtaq Ahmed said that the problem of technology is for the whole of Pakistan but Parliament could not give rights to the people and “I am sad that we have failed”.

Chairman Committee Irfan Siddiqui also expressed his disappointment over the performance and said they were sorry that they could not do better.

Reporter: Rozina Ali