Bitter Truth
National University question leakage : Genesis of the problem
The incident of leakage of 2nd year Honours English compulsory questions for examinations 2006 of the National University for the second time on 12 January last has stunned the whole nation. Shockingly the examinations held once before on November 11 last had to be cancelled later on the same ground of question leakage. Nothing could be more shocking for a nation that has put the highest priority on education through budgetary allocation to be exposed to such disgraceful situation, especially for a university level education where men of sterling qualities are supposed to handle the affairs.
The whole nation seethed with rage over such a gross mismanagement and inept handling and indifference of the officials and even teachers to such a vital and important issue. This has brought one thing to the fore that the whole process starting from setting the questions up to distributing those to the different centres of the country lacked proper planning, security measures and efficient handling and a fool-proof and honest endeavour.
One cannot miss the fact that unpretentious boys and girls at the prime of their career were preparing to sit for the examination that would have given them a sense of confidence and aptitude for further exercise at either higher levels of education or entry into career service in government organisations or private enterprises. Understandably, when a student learns just the night before the examination or after presenting himself at the centre that the question paper of the examination has been leaked out and some of his peers are making use of it, his sense of pride, confidence and competence gets totally shattered. Even the most meritorious student runs into despair, anguish and helplessness.
It must be a gross neglect of responsibility for people at the helm of the National University to have shelved their share of participation and onus of burden that put the credibility of the university and image of the nation at stake. This only pinpoints the fact that management of either teaching or conduct of examinations of the university is nobody's responsibility and we are masters at either passing the buck or appointing a probe body that hardly yields any result or removes the cancerous growth deeply rooted in the body politic of the university or educational institutions. This has, at the same time made it clear that this woefully inadequate, inept and also corrupt infrastructure in the university administration, especially in the exam sector needs to be cleared of the vices deeply embedded in the fabric of the university, to promote education and produce economic growth of the country through meaningful dissemination of education. But curative action is unlikely to yield fruit unless we introduce probity and accountability in the system.
Teaching and learning have in these days become a commodity for sale. Students in most of the schools, colleges and universities are not learning with desired amount of seriousness or with the attitude to learn or attain command, skill and proficiency. Throughout the country, in the lanes and by-lanes of the cities, towns or even thanas there has been a mushroom growth of coaching centres that go by the name 'ideal' or 'sure success' selling education in the form of 'capsules'! In fact, students taught in these centres are not learning the' basics', rather they are stuffed with suggestions and answers of probable questions. These coaching centres, in a relentless bid to make their business booming, draw more students in their circle and may be engaged in some unholy alliance with other agencies that have access to university question papers. The recent English question paper leakage of the National University twice within an interval of two months speaks of one of the following possibilities : pilferage from 1) the press, 2) during dispatch in the transit, 3)during storage in the safe vault , and 4) unfortunately though, by the teachers and moderators who had framed the questions. All sources unfortunately point their fingers to the fourth possibility. The probe body formed by the university authorities, it is expected, would try to identify the culprit in the scam.
People can not rule out the possibility of a link of the coaching centres in our country in this racket partly because of their inglorious past and commercial nature. Administration in this country has hardly taken any notice of the activities of these coaching centres. The involvement of some coaching centres in alliance with the Dhaka university departmental officials while many students were admitted to different departments of the Dhaka University in the past years with fake academic records has been established by a probe body formed in this connection by the university authorities. Teachers in the schools, colleges and now in the universities even want their students to be admitted in the tutorial homes they have themselves set up.
Actually the country is forging ahead in a field where many countries fear to tread : the hazardous nature of teaching that doles out modules of selected questions and their answers prepared by the teachers that doesn't bring about any improvement in the student's basics. Undeniably true, rather than giving the students the cherished objective, the system has bred corruption in the teaching profession beyond rectification. Allegations and evidences are there that question papers are leaked out by some unscrupulous teachers or exam officials in collusion with other agencies like tutorial homes or photocopy shops, certificates are forged and deficient students are sent up for appearing at the board and university final examinations in exchange of high monetary benefit. Since the ills have accumulated much earlier almost at the primary level of teaching, the nation has started paying the heavy price for this gross neglect, indifference and callousness of education planners.
To stem this tide of total breakdown in the system, educational planners have to work with a missionary zeal almost at the grassroots level. There are, of course, some solutions ready at hand to repair the damage and stop the rot from spreading further.
The government must enforce restrictions on the growth of coaching centres/tutorial homes. Centres that want to cater education this way must apply for registration detailing the names of the teachers, their experiences and the school, college or university they are working for. Government and UGC should see that teachers at the university level do not associate themselves either as teachers or advisers of the coaching centres.
Precisely known to all, National University is conducting examinations of the bulk of the students in the country at the degree and Masters level and most worryingly question papers of this university have been leaked thrice within the last three months and leakage of English question paper has occurred twice within an interval of two months despite blacklisting a few academic staff, suspension and termination of services of some exam officials of the National University.
All indications suggest that the malaise is deep rooted and a simple dose will not cure the cancerous spread. Shockingly true, other than a handful of qualified and efficient teachers available in some of the places, the country suffers from a general dearth of experienced teachers in English in most of the schools and colleges. Sadly true, English teaching suffered abysmal neglect right from the post liberation days with low priority in English teaching at secondary stage of schooling, namely in matters of selecting textbooks and almost total withdrawal at grammar in the school level teaching.
Knowledge of grammar is a sine qua non to learning of English at least in this region. Deficient students, inefficient teachers coupled with low quality texts have produced a blend that proved to be a deterrent to learning English and so the menace continues. In his relentless drive against corruption, ACC Chief Lt Gen (retd) Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury even saw the Chairman of the School Text Book Board with request to introduce topics in the school texts that help development of character from the early stage of life. And in a bid to bring about resurgence of the ethical values, morality and probity in the youngsters, it would be proper to re-introduce those topics taught in the earlier days.
Next we need teachers with singular devotion and commitment to teaching and such committed teachers have to be amply rewarded by the government. If we can honour our heroes in the games and sports, it is no less important that some of our committed teachers who are making ceaseless efforts in building the edifice of the nation should also be honoured in some way or other. Let me recall with profound respect the revered memory of a dedicated teacher(later headmaster of the school) I came in contact in my school days who was equally well versed in English, Mathematics and Bangla. Girindra Babu, the soul of Satkhira P.N.High School for long 30 years left a legacy of teaching that will be remembered for years to come.
In a society torn asunder by conflict and corruption and eroding fast under the influence of wealth and authoritarian spirit, we need the idealism of such teachers to show us the path of enlightenment, virtue and glory.
Md. Asadullah Khan is a former teacher of physics and Controller of Examinations, BUET.
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