PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Elementary and Secondary Education Department (ESED) has decided to conduct the annual examinations of students from grade 1 to 8.

The examination will start from June 21 and continue till June 25. The results of the exams will be declared on June 28. The exam will be conducted in Urdu, English, Mathematics and General Science papers. The exams of fifth and eighth grade will be held under the old system of cluster.

The question papers will carry multiple choice questions (MCQs) and short questions.

The exams of matriculation and intermediate will start in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from July 12. The exams of classes 9 and 11 will begin in the second phase, after exams of classes matric (10th grade) and inter (12fth grade) conclude.

The decision to hold exams from first to eighth grade by the KP ESED came a day after it notified reopening of all government and private primary, middle, high and higher secondary schools across the province with immediate effect.

The decision was taken keeping in view the improvement in coronavirus situation and easing of heat wave, which caused the primary and middle schools to be kept closed during last few days.

According to a notification of the KP ESED, all classes of primary, middle, high and higher secondary schools in winter zone would be functional with normal school timings. On the other hand, all primary, middle, high and higher secondary schools in summer zone will open with immediate effect, and the timings would be from 7:00am to 10:00am with already notified standard operating procedures (SOPs).

The notification said all the concerned district education officers (DEOs) in the winter zone would notify union councils and areas with high temperatures for implementation of the said schedule. They would also closely monitor temperatures in other union councils and areas and take necessary action accordingly.

According to the notification, the students of class 9th to 12th would be taught only those subjects in which they will appear in the board examination 2021.

Sources said the provincial government is hoping to push the classes till end of June and then announce summer vacations in July.