9th class exam age restriction illegal: Lahore high Court

Lahore: Last week, a division bench of Lahore high Court declared illegal the education board 9th class exam-age restriction of 12 years.

The bench observed that the strategy of age restriction should not become difficulty in getting education as attaining education was a fundamental right of every resident under article 25A of the Constitution and the fundamental rights were higher in nature.

The bench of Lahore high court consists of Justice Shamas Mehmood Mirza and Justice Muzammal Akhtar Shabbir held the policy of age restriction of 12 years mentioned in rule 1A of calendar under Punjab Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Act 1975 as illegal.

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Large number of aspirants had moved the applications. The requesters counsel Sheraz Zaka submitted that equal education is the major right under Article 25 of the Constitution however, unluckily; the educational boards had made rules that the aspirants below the age of 12 were not eligible to get admission in grade 9^th.

He added that the aspirants who were below 12 years of age were being deprived of their right to education, as the educational board was not permitting them to appear in 9^th class annual exam. He claimed that there was no provision in Punjab free and compulsory education act 2014, which enforces these conditions.

He submitted that it was biased that to appear in grade 9^th annual exam an aspirant has to be 12 years and this strategy of board of intermediate is a violation of article 25A of Constitution.

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He submitted that on the other hand in O and A levels exams there was no policy of age restriction. He said that this age restriction was unfair as well as defilement of the Constitution as no one could be deprived of education.

He requested that the policy of age restriction for 9^th class students mentioned in calendar rule 1A Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Act 1976 should be declared ultra vires because it violates fundamental rights.