CBSE Fails
TIMES OF INDIA 30.03.2018
Leaks of board exam papers embarrass the institution and harass students
Because of leaked question papers, CBSE has declared that students will have to retake the Class XII Economics exam held on Monday and the Class X Math exam held on Wednesday. Beyond being a huge embarrassment for the authorities, this is unconscionably traumatic for students across the country – particularly in a year in which the compulsory Class X board exam was brought back. As for the Class XII retest, it may have a domino effect on several other competitive exams and college entrances. Many students claim that exam papers for other subjects too have been leaked this year. All of this casts a big shadow over the CBSE exam process – affecting 28 lakh students.
A copy of the leaked Class X Maths paper was reportedly delivered to the office of the CBSE chairperson a day before the exam. Usually, separate question papers are set for Delhi, the rest of India, schools outside India, and there’s also a reserve. Had this procedure been followed, the leaked paper could have been replaced with the reserve paper, preventing the scandal of test and retest. But this year all the zones were given one common question paper against the usual norm, reducing room to mitigate the leak. It’s a classic illustration of the dangers of over-centralised education.
While a criminal syndicate is suspected of carrying out the leaks, the issue of accountability at CBSE can’t be whitewashed. True, scamsters make the most of modern technology. From ‘remote’ cheating in the online exam for the staff selection commission (SSC) to the Cambridge Analytica case, this is of course a really widespread challenge today. But for that very reason, protecting data calls for sophisticated security measures. CBSE’s board exams may determine the future of India’s children, but it failed to rise to the challenge.
This is a young country but its leadership does a terrible job of addressing youth issues. From the Vyapam scam in Madhya Pradesh to various school state boards, criminal gangs that guarantee results have mushroomed. But authorities are only able to nab small fry, emboldening masterminds to continue operations. The need of the hour is higher conviction of scamsters, greater accountability of institutions like CBSE, and of course better exam security. Otherwise students will lose faith in the exam system, not to mention that everything in education should not hang on exams in the first place.
TIMES OF INDIA 30.03.2018
Leaks of board exam papers embarrass the institution and harass students
Because of leaked question papers, CBSE has declared that students will have to retake the Class XII Economics exam held on Monday and the Class X Math exam held on Wednesday. Beyond being a huge embarrassment for the authorities, this is unconscionably traumatic for students across the country – particularly in a year in which the compulsory Class X board exam was brought back. As for the Class XII retest, it may have a domino effect on several other competitive exams and college entrances. Many students claim that exam papers for other subjects too have been leaked this year. All of this casts a big shadow over the CBSE exam process – affecting 28 lakh students.
A copy of the leaked Class X Maths paper was reportedly delivered to the office of the CBSE chairperson a day before the exam. Usually, separate question papers are set for Delhi, the rest of India, schools outside India, and there’s also a reserve. Had this procedure been followed, the leaked paper could have been replaced with the reserve paper, preventing the scandal of test and retest. But this year all the zones were given one common question paper against the usual norm, reducing room to mitigate the leak. It’s a classic illustration of the dangers of over-centralised education.
While a criminal syndicate is suspected of carrying out the leaks, the issue of accountability at CBSE can’t be whitewashed. True, scamsters make the most of modern technology. From ‘remote’ cheating in the online exam for the staff selection commission (SSC) to the Cambridge Analytica case, this is of course a really widespread challenge today. But for that very reason, protecting data calls for sophisticated security measures. CBSE’s board exams may determine the future of India’s children, but it failed to rise to the challenge.
This is a young country but its leadership does a terrible job of addressing youth issues. From the Vyapam scam in Madhya Pradesh to various school state boards, criminal gangs that guarantee results have mushroomed. But authorities are only able to nab small fry, emboldening masterminds to continue operations. The need of the hour is higher conviction of scamsters, greater accountability of institutions like CBSE, and of course better exam security. Otherwise students will lose faith in the exam system, not to mention that everything in education should not hang on exams in the first place.
No comments:
Post a Comment