QUESTION papers leakage in public examinations is a regular phenomenon neutralizing the acceptability of such examinations in determining the merits of students and Transparency International, Bangladesh TIB made a stunning disclosure as reported on Thursday blaming from a section of government officials to coaching centers and other private stakeholders for leaking the questions. It has turned out to be a regular business, the TIB report said based on its research findings. The anti-graft body has blamed the government for tolerating the leakage but what it did not make clear is that most people engaged in the process are linked to the ruling party politics and they are sheltered by the party leadership at every level.
The TIB findings showed as many as 40 steps are involved including 19 highly risky steps for leakage between preparation to printing and distribution of the question papers and the holding of those examinations such as SSC, HSC and the equivalent exams. Some people are active at every step. They are also destroying PSC exams and university admission exams making impossible selection of candidates on merit basis. The TIB has mainly accused the government for keeping silent on leakage cases to hide its incompetence and chaos around holding such exams and wondered why the government is not taking legal action against the culprits.
TIB blamed many teachers’ involvement from preparing the question papers to their final tabulation over the years creating their vested interest in the system. There are people in the press who take photo copy of the question papers. Some teachers from exam halls also pass the questions in text messages. It is almost a parallel system at work to break credibility of the public exams. The government actions so far remained limited in words because of the involvement of the ruling party cadres in the process. They are even set free when police detain them in raids to arrest members of leakage syndicates.
It is sad to say the government cannot manage things anywhere. No government can govern a country by filing police cases.
So it is not enough to talk about police cases to stop leakage of question papers. If anybody to be punished then Education Minister should go.
