Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid on Friday said that a total of 153 people were arrested in 52 cases in connection with the question papers leakage of Secondary School Certificate examinations.
“I am seeking supports from teachers and guardians to stop the spate of the question leak. Please hand these leakers over to law enforcers,” Nahid said at a function at Film Development Corporation (FDC) auditorium in Dhaka.
The minister also admitted his ministry’s failure to find out the root cause of the question leak and said the enforcement agencies and the ministry are working to stop the menace.
“We are adopting new measures based on suggestions coming from different sectors to make our efforts successful. But somehow the incidents of leaking the question papers are taking place,” he said.
Hinting to bring a major change in the SSC examinations, Nahid said, the ministry is coming up with some strategies ahead of the upcoming SSC examinations. “I think, the effort will bring result.”
About 150,000 people are involved in the process of setting and printing questions, said Nahid. “The disaster follows in when
one of them gets into corruption.”
The ministers, secretaries and chairmen of boards cannot see the questions, he said.
“Technology is an asset, but it creates some hassles as well. We are getting the examinees inside halls half an hour before the exams. We have ordered authorities to open the envelope exactly half an hour before the tests. Still some people are leaking them.”
Citing a recent question-answer session with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Nahid said, “Some journalists claim that questions are leaked 20 minutes before the examinations. May be it is not harmful, but still not acceptable.”
Terming the incident of question paper leak as a big factor, Nahid underscored the need for classroom-based education. “Our children will not grow perfect if we fail to educate them with contemporary and circumstantial education,” he added.
The Education Minister stressed the need for cultural events to build up physical and mental skill of the children. “World class education, knowledge and technology are needed if we want to build the new generation as architects of modern Bangladesh,” Nahid said.
It may be mentioned that the SSC and its equivalent examinations began across the country on February 1 simultaneously but question papers of the most the examinations have been leaked anyhow through social media.
In a bid to stop the spate of the question leak, the government has already announced take 5 lakh as bounty for helping to catch those are involved in the incident. But the effort has already gone in vain.
