M M Jasim :
The Education Ministry is going to remove Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) system from the Secondary School Certificate and the Higher Secondary School Certificate examinations with the aim of stopping question papers leakage permanently.
The ministry’s top bosses said that the MCQ system in the examination has promoted frequent question papers leakage.
It is possible to check question papers leakage after removing the MCQ system if the students have to write 100pc written answers.
The members of the National Monitoring Committee on Law and Order in the Education Ministry took the decision recently to remove the MCQ system from next year.
The ministry will arrange a seminar with the noted academia and education experts. The final decision will be taken after the seminar.
Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid said, “The question has been raised from different quarters about the MCS system. In 2015, we announced to remove it from 2017. Now, it is the demand of time to do it. We will take final decision after a national level seminar.”
State Minister for Technical and Madrasah Education Division of Education Ministry Kazi Keramat Ali said, “MCQ system is behind the question paper leakage. I proposed in the meeting to remove it and the meeting agreed to.”
The educationists blamed the MCQ system for reducing the quality of education, and unleashing anarchy in the education sector. It is very difficult to stop the forgery in the examination halls due to the MCQ system as the teachers and the students can easily manage 30 marks.
They said that a portion of unscrupulous teachers and government officials leaked the question papers just before the examination and sold it to the students and their guardians in exchange of a handsome amount.
In 1991 during the BNP government, the education ministry introduced 50 percent marks for MCQ at every examination. The rest 50 percent was written. A syndicate comprising some unscrupulous teachers and government officials misused it and bagged huge money.
In 1996, the Awami League government tried to stop the MCQ system and made written examination mandatory. But it was not possible that time. But the then government reduced the MCQ from 50 percent to 40 percent.
In 2015, the government took the decision to remove the MCQ. The ministry also reduced the MCQ from 40 percent to 30 percent.
In 2016, the ministry arranged a view exchange meeting with the country’s reputed educationists. They recommended to remove the MCQ system.
Professor Muhammed Zafar Iqbal said, it is high time to remove the MCQ system. “I suggested the government to do it as early as possible,” he said.
