Simply Haryana: ‘Non-attending’ schools fuel cheating in exams: Experts

Even as the Board of School Education Haryana (BSEH), Bhiwani, steps up efforts to ensure fair conduct of Class 10 and 10+2 examinations, incidents of mass copying, impersonation and question paper leaks continue to surface, marring the ongoing process.In the first three days of examinations, around 77 cases of use of unfair means (UMC) were detected. Two FIRs have also been registered in connection with question paper leaks at centres in Charkhi Dadri and Jind.Last year, the authorities detected 813 UMC cases in Haryana’s Board examinations. The figure stood at 1,155 in 2024 and 2,511 in 2023, indicating a declining trend. Officials point out that higher UMC cases are often reported from districts like Nuh, where stricter detection has been enforced.However, educationists and parents claim that a deeper systemic issue is emerging. They allege that the growing trend of ‘non-attending’ schools coupled with private coaching centres is creating an ecosystem that indirectly promotes malpractice.A retired District Education Officer, Devender Singh, said, “The ‘non-attending’ term has become a fancy word in the education circles wherein the students need not to attend the classes in the schools they have taken admission. Later on, these schools also ‘ensure’ on their own level that such students not only pass the examination but also get good marks.”According to stakeholders, many students from Class IX onwards prioritise coaching institutes over regular schooling. Private schools, they allege, admit such ‘non-attending’ students while coaching centres charge hefty fees for preparation for medical and engineering entrance exams conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA).“In this way, parents and students have been facing a double load of finances and studies. While students need to put his/her entire focus on the medical or engineering tests conducted by the NTA, the students ignore the studies up to class 10+2. Besides, the parents have to bear the expenses of both school fee and coaching fee,” said a parent, Ashok Kumar.Kumar added that this nexus between non-attending schools and coaching centres must be addressed to restore credibility to the examination system.Ahead of the examinations, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini had directed senior district officials to ensure strict action against the use of unfair means. The BSEH has also decided to recover the cost of any re-examination from those responsible for lapses at examination centres if papers are cancelled due to malpractice.Despite stricter monitoring and a downward trend in detected cases over the past three years, concerns persist that unless the ‘non-attending’ model is scrutinised, systemic reform may remain incomplete.

Simply Haryana: ‘Non-attending’ schools fuel cheating in exams: Experts

77 cases detected in first three days; two FIRs registered over paper leaks

Deepender Deswal

Tribune News Service

Simply Haryana: ‘Non-attending’ schools fuel cheating in exams: Experts

77 cases detected in first three days; two FIRs registered over paper leaks

Deepender Deswal

Tribune News Service

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