Question-Paper Leaks: Nahid blames it on some teachers

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid yesterday apparently expressed his helplessness in checking the leak of question papers for different examinations, once again holding a section of teachers responsible.

"We got many suggestions on how to check question paper leak. Even there were discussions to print question papers in the hall 30 minutes before the tests. But what is the benefit of doing so when the teachers leak the questions?" he said, after a joint meeting with a delegation of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) at the ministry's conference room.

His remarks came hard on the heels of widespread allegations of leak in the question papers of all public exams like JSC, SSC and HSC, medical college and university admission tests, and government banks' recruitment exams over the last few years. In most cases, questions were allegedly leaked on some Facebook pages.

The allegations of leak were widespread during the recently concluded JSC examinations and at the time the minister blamed teachers for it.

Although the education ministry took several measures, leaks continued with the ACC, in a report, recently pointing fingers at officers in the education board, BG Press and other government officials for the incidents.

Only four days ago, the question paper of class-I and IV in the school final examinations was allegedly leaked in Barguna Sadar, prompting the authorities concerned to postpone examinations in all 248 primary schools.

A day earlier, question papers of classes II-IV exams in Munshiganj were also leaked. The district deputy commissioner stopped the examinations of classes II-IV in all the 119 primary schools under the upazila.

During yesterday's meeting, the ACC delegation led by its commissioner Nasir Uddin Ahmed submitted its report along with a 39-points recommendation to the ministry.

In the report, the corruption watchdog said that government officers and staff are involved in every stage of the question paper, from preparation to distribution. It recommended employing honest and meritorious teachers in the preparation of questions, reducing the number of exam centres and keeping those in upazila towns.

After the meeting, the minister told reporters that the government took several measures to prevent the question leak from BG Press.

"When we hand over the questions to the teachers, we should feel safe. But that's not happening as a section of teachers leak the questions," Nahid said.

He further said the coaching centres allure the teachers into doing so by saying that the students of the particular centre would do well in the exams because of the leak and that the coaching centre's income would increase further for it.

He also said some teachers teach students in the coaching centres or at homes instead of giving lessons in the classroom. The more renowned the teachers are, the greater the chances of not teaching in the classroom, he added.

The minister said they are not taking any measures against coaching centres due to the lack of proper laws. Once the education act is passed, it would be possible to take steps, he added.

He also said the ACC's report is timely and most of the recommendations are under consideration. The ministry and the ACC would jointly remove the problems, Nahid added.

ACC Commissioner Nasir Uddin Ahmed yesterday pointed out the irregularities in the question leaks and in other areas while discussing different points of the report.