Board should value its own rules

Gurvinder Singh

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, December 21

Even though campaign against cheating has been organised by the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB), yet city educationists and teachers say that following simple methods and ground rules could be more fruitful in curbing the cheating practice during examinations. They said no doubt, organising seminars and campaigns could make a difference in changing the attitude of teachers and students to an extent, but going according to the norms was a better and easier option.

The board itself is not following some of its ground rules that can go a long way in curbing cheating. “One such rule is that the examination centres should be based on the ground floor. But when it comes to the implementation of the rule, it is not strictly followed. The exams take place on the upper floors as well,”said Sukhdarshan Singh from the Nakal Virodhi Adhyapak Front.

“The chances of cheating always increase when the examination room is on the first or higher floors of the school,” said another schoolteacher of the PSEB. “By the time the flying squads reach the other floors, the examiners, who may be involved in the cheating practice by the students, warn them,” said another teacher. So, the rules should be strictly followed, he said.

“We have also met the PSEB secretary regarding this and suggested that the examination of the school students should be held at some other school, rather than at their own schools to help stop cheating,” Singh said. “As in case of CBSE, the school where the students study is never made their examination centre. In the same way, examination centres of students of the private schools should be made at government schools and those of government schools students may be made at the private schools to curb cheating,” he said.

“Schools want better results for themselves. So, at times, they let their own students cheat during the examination,” he said.

The board should not let the schools and local office to decide about the members of the flying squad and should shortlist and appoint all the members of these squads on its own. “In general practice, after appointing some members of flying squads, the board allows members of local Education Department or school principals to choose flying squad members. This increases the chances of appointment of biased personsin the squads. So, the selection of all the flying squad members should be done by the board itself,” he said.

Singh further added that a student caught cheating in the exam was not allowed to take the exam for the next three years. In the same way, the teachers or flying squads who may be involved in helping cheating should not be given promotions or increments apart from other punishments, he said.