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| EDUCATION TRIBUNE | Tuesday, June 10, 2003, Chandigarh, India |
Copying — bane of examination system Rajesh Sharma THE unabashed and blatant use of unfair means during the recently concluded school board examinations is a grim reminder of the fact that our examination system has become rotten. 82 pc
Fazilka govt schools sans heads Two months
gone, no textbooks Rare books
thrown away |
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Copying
— bane of examination system
The scale of copying this time was unprecedented. Copying has been the bane of our examination system for a long time, but has assumed alarming proportions now. There were reports of mass copying at various centres during the examinations. Examinations have become a farce, a sham, an annual ritual devoid of any purpose. Our present system of education is churning out young persons with degrees in hands who only add to the already infinite list of unemployed youth. The whole system seems to have gone haywire. Earlier, only a few dared to use unfair means but now ‘foreign aid’ is readily available. The scene inside the examination hall presents a picture of chaos where the candidates clamour for "more and more aid" It is not that rules do not exist to check copying. The lack of strict implementation of rules has aggravated the malady. No copying can take place without the consent or connivance of the supervisory staff. But they either turn a blind eye to what is happening around them, or, at the most, issue half-hearted warnings to the offenders. Sometimes, thy have their own ‘cases’ to attend to. But the moot question is — why do students resort to copying? One answer is that degrees are considered to be passports for jobs. So the students aim at getting through the examination by hook or crook. Little do they realize that in the age of privatisation and stiff competition, only the fittest succeed. ‘Perform or Perish’ is the new mantra in the corporate world. Mere certificates are of little help in securing jobs. Another reason is the indifferent attitude of the students towards their studies. They have a casual approach towards their studies throughout the year and as the examinations near, they use all means, fair and foul, to get through. Teachers are also to be blamed, once guided by a missionary zeal, they have turned mercenaries. They set their eyes on tuitions and sincere classroom teaching has become a casualty. Parents also cannot escape blame. How many of them ever visit the schools to enquire about the progress of their wards? They have other important matters to take care of. But come the examinations, they can be seen hovering around the examination centres to ‘contact’ the superintendent. Absenteeism among teachers, particularly in government schools, is yet another reason. Their annual increments depend upon the results they show. So they abet copying to save their skins. Copying does not help one in the long run. It is a poison which kills slowly but surely. Effective steps have to be taken to curb this menace. Rules, as said earlier, do exist. Only their proper implementation in letter and spirit is required. The introduction of five set of question paper is a step in the right direction, but it, too, has failed to put a check on copying. Students and teacher involved in this malpractice should be dealt with strictly. The suspension of 60 teachers this time should act as a deterrent. Copying in the examination should be declared a cognizable offence. Teachers and parents found loitering around the examination centre should be put behind bars, at least for three hours (duration of the examination). Examination centres should be so made that the student, parent and teachers nexus is checked during the examination days. Men of proven integrity should be appointed superintendents and supervisors. Eminent educationists should be appointed superintendents and supervisors. Eminent educationists should be invited in schools to lecture the students on the crippling effects of copying on their careers. One person who can bring about a
qualitative change in the whole system is — the teacher himself.
Teachers should take upon themselves the onerous responsibility of
eradicating this scourge of copying. Only then can the sanctity of the
examination system be restored. |
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82
pc Fazilka govt schools sans heads NOTWITHSTANDING the rationalisation exercise of the Punjab Education Department, about 82 per cent of the government high schools and senior secondary schools in Fazilka subdivision are functioning without heads. There are 33 high schools and senior secondary schools in Fazilka subdivision out of which 27 schools are without principals and headmasters. The schools are being run by senior teachers, who are acting as officiating heads, as neither has the Punjab Government given promotions to teachers nor has recruited new heads directly. Most of these schools are functioning without heads from two to 10 years. Out of 27 schools, 18 are such in which no regular head has been appointed ever since their upgradation. According to official figures, out of 16 high schools in the rural areas, headmasters are posted in only two schools in Mauzam and Banwala Hanuwanta villages. Schools in Arniwala, Kamalwala, Chack Banwala, Kirianwali, Behak Bodla, Hasta Kalan, Shajrana, Chaurianwali, Khui Khera, Bandiwala, Asafwala, Wazidpur Kattianwali, Kabul Shah Khuban and Pakkan villages are functioning without heads. Likewise, out of 17 senior secondary schools, 15 schools, including the Senior Secondary School for Boys in Fazilka, do not have regular principals. Fourteen schools in Tahliwala Bodla, Lalowali, Nukerian, Azamwala, Dangar Khera, Kheowali Dhab, Jandwala Bhimeshah, Nihal Khera, Jandwala Mirasangla, Ladhuka, Chimnewala and Patrewala villages are also without heads. Due to this, studies of thousands of students and administrative work in the schools are suffering. Mr Raj Kishore Kalra, general secretary, Government Secondary Teachers Union, Ferozepore, in a statement here today, urged the Punjab Government to carry out the rationalisation exercise with caution. He said the government should promote senior lecturers and teachers as principals and headmasters to fill up the vacancies. He said most of these lecturers and
teachers had put in 30 years of service and were on the verge of
retirement. Promoting them would not entail any financial burden on
the government added Mr Kalra. |
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Two
months gone, no textbooks THE dilly-dally policy regarding the supply of textbooks of the Punjab State Education Board is not only effecting students adversely, but also encouraging illegal trade of duplicate books and help books. Even after two months of the new session, the textbooks for social studies, science (Class III) and mathematics (Class VI) have not been published yet. Some change in the syllabi in these subjects is stated to be the reason in the delay in the supply of these books. Interestingly, help books of these subjects have already been published and in the absence of textbooks are selling like hot cakes. The board has increased the price of its textbooks this year at least by 20 per cent. The information was leaked to book-sellers, who first hoarded these books and now are selling these at the new price list by overwriting on the earlier printed price. A couple of years back, the board had launched a major drive to check the illegal trade of duplicate books and many raids were conducted. The board had also reduced the prices of its textbooks so that illegal publishing was no longer viable. Now, taking a U-turn, the board has again increased the price of its publications, giving a boost to the illegal trade. Mr Gurcharan Singh, a retired teacher
and CPI leader, while criticising the undue delay in the supply of
books published by the PSEB, says the authorities must reconsider the
hike in the price of books as it will not only effect poor students,
but also encourage the illegal trade of duplicate books. |
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Rare
books thrown away OVER 20,000 rare and precious books valuing in lakh have been virtually thrown into the dustbin by the Palampur Municipal Council that has given its library building on rent to the police. It is learnt that insects have damaged half of the books and if no efforts are made, the remaining books will also be destroyed. All requests to the Municipal Council by various sections of society have yielded no results. Prof Ravinder Gupta of HP Agricultural University says the insects have damaged over 1,000 books donated by his late grandfather, Parma Nand Gupta, to the municipal library. Mr Gupta says all books were rare. His grandfather had procured these from Lahore and Calcutta before Independence. These were given to the Municipal Council so that the general public could utilise these. The library building is not the property of the Municipal Council. It was constructed by the local Butail family and later donated to the Municipal Council to run a library. Instead of running a library, the council preferred to rent it out to the local DSP’s office and dumped the books in a municipal store. One part of the building has been
converted into the residence of the Executive Officer. |
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THE
unabashed and blatant use of unfair means during the recently
concluded school board examinations is a grim reminder of the fact
that our examination system has become rotten. That many examination
centres were cancelled and 60 teachers placed under suspension for
indulging in malpractices — a poor commentary on the state of
affairs.