It is really disconcerting that the relevant authorities are not being able to stop the rampant ongoing crime of question paper leaks. Two employees of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education were reportedly found involved in the leak of question papers of the recruitment exam for the post of office assistant / computer operator, the test for which was held at 61 centres in Dhaka last Friday. Authorities were supposed to fill 513 vacancies through this test. The Detective Branch of Police who nabbed the two persons did not, however, disclose their names as investigation is going on.
Question paper leak whether they be in board exams or admission tests or recruitment tests for government service alone can be cited as ample proof that a deep malaise of moral disintegration is making the nation weak inwardly. In the past, we heard of reaching papers to the hands of examinees prior to holding exams. According to a TIB report, from January 2012-2015, at least 63 question papers of different public exams were leaked.
If the nation seriously wants to lift the educational quality or recruitment to public services fair the ministries of education and home must take decisive steps to stop the menace. One of the reasons for leak incidents that continue unabated is the denial at the policy-making level. It takes no great effort to understand that without involvement of public officials, leak is impossible. Outside rackets can never get the question papers without connection either with the panel teachers who make the papers, the BG press where they are printed, and people involved in preserving and distribution of papers at different tiers including DSHE, district and upazila administrations as well as exam centres.
The recent unholy competition among various coaching centres and educational institutions to score better has also given rise to the leaking trend. The education ministry must ensure a foolproof process. More importantly, for making question papers, the practice of keeping the same teachers in the panel has to be changed. Involving fresh faces and selecting question papers made by them from multiple sets through lottery and engaging people with sound morality in preserving and distributing can greatly decrease the leaking menace.
The nation cannot expect anything from the officers who join the public service through dishonest means in the very beginning. Leak of question papers at this crucial level of finding out the competent persons for government service needs to be effectively addressed.
