Published on: August 21, 2025 2:06 PM
Punjab’s Grade 9 annual exams revealed a harsh reality, as only 45 percent of nearly 380,000 students across the province passed, leaving 55 percent failing and highlighting urgent reforms.
Interestingly, in Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat’s native village, Gulzar Jagir, only one out of 18 students passed the exam, raising questions about the effectiveness of education initiatives even in the minister’s own area.
The results showed that girls outperformed boys, with a 58 percent pass rate compared to just 35 percent among male students, reflecting a significant gender gap in academic achievement across Punjab.
Board-wise data also mirrored provincial trends, with Lahore Board recording a 45.08 percent pass rate and Faisalabad Board slightly higher at 51.55 percent, indicating widespread challenges in the quality of education across different districts.
Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat, currently visiting the United States, shared a detailed analysis on social media, emphasizing that schools with consistently poor performance will face strict accountability measures, including potential removal of staff.
He also announced that high-performing schools and teachers would be recognized and rewarded, as the government claimed that analyzing exam results will help improve education standards, though public debate questions whether reforms will produce real change.
