Editorial
Antidote to Cheating in Exams
THE education board authorities' decision to take punitive legal measures against students caught cheating in public examinations, pursuant to the Public Examinations Offences (Amendment) Act, 1992, does not come as a surprise given the high incidence of the malaise. But what certainly is baffling is the way the board authorities are keeping the abettors out of sight. The students are not necessarily entirely responsible for the disquieting turn at the examination halls. If past experience is any guide, some personnel, namely a few teachers, invigilators, guardians and even law enforcers might have extended a helping hand to the students.
The authorities have also decided to implement some more measures like changing the type of question papers that induce cheating or copying from note-books smuggled into exam halls. To rectify the rot in public examinations the authorities need to take some comprehensive measures including improving the standard of class-room instructions. Prevention is better than cure so that we have to strike at the root of the rot. The schools and colleges must shoulder the responsibility of imbibing the right value in the students. At the same time, concrete initiatives are needed for detecting the dishonest individuals engaged in the vile act of question-paper leakage. The dictate of reality, however, is that the entire examination system needs to be remodelled.
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