SEVERAL national dailies reported that detectives on Thursday arrested eight people, including a schoolteacher, for their alleged involvement in online leakage of multiple choice questions (MCQs) in Mathematics of ongoing SSC exams. The day before the exams started, the Education Minister had said they had taken all-out measures to stop question paper leakage, which has become alarming for the past several years. But, the leakage of Mathematics and some other question papers this time again proves that the government is miserably failing in its task while culprits are destroying the credibility of our public examinations and the entire education system.
It is widely known that question paper leakage takes place in three stages — during questions preparation, printing in the press, and during distribution. Powerful syndicates are at work in all three stages that include ruling party men, coaching centers functionaries, employees of government press and teachers who handle question preparation and distribution.
The TIB report last year clearly exposed each and every point of the leakage and the identity of most people working in the chain. But one would only wonder why the government is not removing them from the sensitive positions and the known answer is that they are very powerful party operatives or have powerful people backing them to continue in place.
So denouncing the leakage every time after it has taken place and the threat to punish the culprits is nothing but a blank rhetoric to befool the people. The fact is that the government is utterly helpless and its power is so limited to handle the business syndicates for political reasons that things may not improve sooner without bigger change.
Detectives said Mathematics questions were leaked before half an hour taking a mobile snap and then syndicate members solve the question and upload answers in the face book before students enter the hall. But why the authorities failed to stop such leakage with prior experience taking effective precaution, is the biggest question. Other question papers are being leaked in other stages and many believe that the leakage is stoppable if the authorities can stop the hefty business for money.
We know that teachers were found involved in almost every leakage incidents in the past years but since the government has failed to give exemplary punishment to them, their involvement is surfacing every time and this year not an exception as well. We would hope the government would put everybody to face public trial this time so that people would restore their trust in its power to handle the culprits.
We can’t surrender our public examination system that will reward students of wealthy families who can afford to buy question papers at a huge cost to pass the exam at a higher grade while meritorious students of poorer background will lose ground to them.
It is widely known that question paper leakage takes place in three stages — during questions preparation, printing in the press, and during distribution. Powerful syndicates are at work in all three stages that include ruling party men, coaching centers functionaries, employees of government press and teachers who handle question preparation and distribution.
The TIB report last year clearly exposed each and every point of the leakage and the identity of most people working in the chain. But one would only wonder why the government is not removing them from the sensitive positions and the known answer is that they are very powerful party operatives or have powerful people backing them to continue in place.
So denouncing the leakage every time after it has taken place and the threat to punish the culprits is nothing but a blank rhetoric to befool the people. The fact is that the government is utterly helpless and its power is so limited to handle the business syndicates for political reasons that things may not improve sooner without bigger change.
Detectives said Mathematics questions were leaked before half an hour taking a mobile snap and then syndicate members solve the question and upload answers in the face book before students enter the hall. But why the authorities failed to stop such leakage with prior experience taking effective precaution, is the biggest question. Other question papers are being leaked in other stages and many believe that the leakage is stoppable if the authorities can stop the hefty business for money.
We know that teachers were found involved in almost every leakage incidents in the past years but since the government has failed to give exemplary punishment to them, their involvement is surfacing every time and this year not an exception as well. We would hope the government would put everybody to face public trial this time so that people would restore their trust in its power to handle the culprits.
We can’t surrender our public examination system that will reward students of wealthy families who can afford to buy question papers at a huge cost to pass the exam at a higher grade while meritorious students of poorer background will lose ground to them.
