EDITORIAL: Punjab School Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat has revealed a shocking scandal about the ongoing class IX annual examination conducted by the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE), Lahore.
In a statement issued on Sunday, he asserted that the Board chairman and controller of examinations were hand in glove with the cheating mafia. Examination centres were sold for Rs 80,000 whilst per paper rate was between Rs 4,000 and Rs 7,000, as advertised by some invigilators on social media.
Furthermore, disclosed the minister, individuals who had not passed even IX or X grade exams were found doing supervisory duty at various exam centres. The Punjab Teachers’ Union also pointed the finger at the BISE, saying it misrepresented shortage of government teachers and appointed private individuals as supervisors.
Exams, of course, are meant to assess student learning. Results, especially at the matriculation level, hold immense significance as entrance into institutions of higher education depends on the marks secured in these exams.
Use of unfair means witnessed in the present instance puts honest, hardworking students at a disadvantage and also renders the evaluation process erratic and hence unreliable. Education standards are already a lot less than satisfactory; rampant cheating has made a bad situation worse.
It is good to note that the government has taken notice and is in the process of tightening the noose, as the minister put it, “around the booti mafia”, adding that soon the big fish will also be exposed. So far, 30 persons have been arrested, he said, and the BISE chairman along with the controller of examinations has been suspended.
Disciplinary action is under way against some others, too, for failure to fulfil their duties. Meanwhile, Commissioner of Lahore Muhammad Ali Randhawa acting as the BISE chairman has launched an inquiry into the process of assigning examination-related duties. Its outcome should be made public.
It won’t be enough, though, to suspend officials involved in this immoral and criminal practice. The usual procedure in such cases is to transfer the wrongdoers to another posting where they continue employing dishonest means for personal gains.
The least they deserve is termination of service. The students caught cheating should also receive some sort of penalty, such as warning in the case of a minor transgression, and in serious situations a ban on appearing in exams for a year or more.
The ministry can also draw on the experience of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who, in a previous stint as the chief minister of Punjab, had effectively dealt with the then widespread problem of use of unfair means in exams. Similar measures should be adopted by authorities in other places, including Karachi, where the conditions are not any different.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024