SM Mizanur Rahman :
Teachers’ involvement in question paper leakage in different public examinations and university admission tests is making the country a state of brainlessness, say experts.
Apart from teachers, involvement of government officials and staff in question leak is also a grave concern to all of us as they are destroying the country’s examination system as well young people’s creativity, they said.
Questions are being leaked in three ways. The first option is where the question papers are prepared while the second source is the government press where questions are printed. And the last option is when the question papers are sent to the examination centres.
“It is shocking news as we have to witness such shameful and hated incidents like question paper leakage. It can’t be tolerated and accepted anyway. We will be a ruined nation in the future if the government and public university fail to stop such destructive culture,” said Serajul Islam Choudhury, Professor Emeritus at the University of Dhaka.
He termed the teachers’ involvement as a serious concern, warning that such trend would only to cripple the country intellectually.
“I’m calling upon the government to ensure exemplary punishment for those responsible, irrespective of their status. If the culprits are not given exemplary punishment, it will bring a catastrophe in the education sector,” Serajul Islam said.
When contacted, Iftekharuzzaman, Executive Director of Transparency International Bangladesh, said a vested quarter is trying to destroy the country’s whole examination system.
“Earlier, we repeatedly informed the government about the question paper leakage but it didn’t pay heed to us. And the government accused us of what it termed ‘spreading false and fabricated’ information. And now the Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid confessed it at last,” he said.
Replying to a query about the Education Minister’s recent remarks, he said the Education Minister cannot sit idle by giving only speech.
“It is the government’s responsibility is to ensure holding of sound and peaceful examinations,” he said.
Earlier, Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid said that they are in such a condition that they can neither disclose everything nor accept. But he said that he would not tolerate these any more.
Iftekharuzzaman said coaching centres and government employees have been part of a big nexus in leaking question papers prior to all the public examinations.
“It is quite impossible to leak question papers unless a section of the government employees, who are deployed in printing and distribution of question papers, are not involved,” he added.
Beside, he said officials of Primary Education Directorate, Education Boards, BG Press as well as local administrations have been involved in question paper leakage incidents.
He said that student wings of ruling party, coaching centres, guidebook traders, photocopy shops, applicants and sometimes guardians play active role in circulating the leaked question papers.
On March 6, the administration of Islamic University suspended a teacher, expelled a student and cancelled admission of 140 other students in connection with the first year admission test question paper leakage.
At least 19 people, including a teacher of Kamalapur Sher-e-Bangla Railway High School, were arrested for their involvement in question paper leakage of Secondary School Certificate examination this year.
The question is being leaked over Facebook just after handing it over to teachers on the exam day. When the authorities safely hand over the question papers to the concerned teachers, those are being shared over social media.
Students are involved as they want to achieve success and their parents are involved because they want good grades for their children.
Besides, the teachers and others are involved because of financial, material and other gains.
