A school leaving certificate is one of the few documents a family will keep for years. The next school reads it closely, and a board office may ask to see it. That is why it is worth having a clear format and a proper register, and not a paragraph typed from memory each time.
The wording and the required fields can vary by board and district, so check what your board expects. This guide covers the details most Pakistani schools include.
What a school leaving certificate usually contains
- The school's name, address and registration number, with the logo.
- A serial number from your register.
- Admission number and the student's full name.
- Father's name and the B-form number.
- Date of birth, written in figures and in words.
- Date of admission and the class at admission.
- Date of leaving and the class the student was in when leaving.
- The reason for leaving, such as shifting to another city, moving to another school, or passing out.
- Conduct, for example good, very good or excellent.
- A line saying that all dues have been cleared.
- Signature of the principal and the school's stamp.
Writing the date of birth in words as well as figures is a small habit that prevents changes later.
Clear the dues first
Before issuing the certificate, check three things: unpaid fees, library books still out, and any hostel dues. If something is outstanding, the certificate should wait. A principal may sometimes decide to issue it anyway, for example for a family in difficulty. If so, write the reason down in the register, so it can be explained later.
Keep a register with yearly serial numbers
Number each type of certificate separately and restart every year, for example SLC-2026-0001 for the first leaving certificate of 2026 and CHR-2026-0001 for the first character certificate. A register should record the number, the student, the date, who issued it and the reason. If your school already has a paper register, continue from its last number rather than starting again.
Duplicates and cancellations
- A school normally issues one leaving certificate per student. If a family loses it, the new copy should be marked as a duplicate, with a date.
- If a certificate was issued in error, cancel it in the register with a reason. Do not just tear it up or reuse the number.
Other certificates schools issue
- Character certificate: a short statement of conduct, used for admissions elsewhere, board forms and jobs.
- Bonafide certificate: confirms that the student studies at the school, used for passports, scholarships and fee concessions.
- Provisional result certificate: issued before the board certificate or the school's own result card is ready.
- Merit, sports and participation certificates: given to many students at once at the end of a term or event.
- Experience certificate: for staff who leave.
Let other schools check a certificate
A printed certificate can be forged. A simple defence is a QR code that opens a page showing only the school, the certificate type, the serial number, the student's name and class, the date and whether it is valid or cancelled. It should not show a date of birth, B-form number or phone number.
Doing this in Skoo
Skoo has ready certificate types in English and Urdu, including the school leaving certificate in register style, with the date of birth in figures and words. You set the school's name, logo, up to three signers and photos of the signature and stamp once. When you issue a certificate, the real certificate fills in beside the form and Skoo lists any missing student details. For a leaving certificate it shows unpaid fees, books out and hostel dues. The principal can still issue it with a written reason, which goes into the register.
Numbers run by type and year, and you can set the letters and starting number so the register continues from your paper book. Certificates can be cancelled with a reason and reprinted as duplicates, and a QR code lets anyone check one. Parents can also ask for a certificate from the app. Read more about certificates in Skoo.