Runners and helpers at exam centres : Growing culture of cheating
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: March 21 2015 -

A show of agility. Nothing less.

Not staged for entertainment nor was it a physical test, though it was for a test, albeit a test for a totally different kind.

Readers who managed to grab a copy of the English edition of The Sangai Express on March 19 must be aware of the picture that has been recounted here for it is not often that one gets to see such acrobatics being performed for one and all to see.

The venue was an exam centre at Bihar and the occasion was the Class X or Matric board examination.

The picture underlined the opening sentence of the report which stated that cheating in the Matric board examinations had literally scaled new heights.

The high rise building of the examination centre did not discourage the ‘helpers’ as numerous of them could be seen climbing the building to pass on notes to the candidates sitting inside the examination centre.

Talk about acrobatics and this would have hit the jack pot.

It was cheating at its most blatant and this does not say anything good, not only for Bihar but also about the Class X Board exams conducted all over the country at this time of the year.

At one point of time, Manipur too witnessed the same kind of experience. The situation is definitely better now, but there was a time when cheating or using unfair means in the Class X and Class XII or Pre-University exams was prevalent here.

It was not uncommon to see helpers and runners crowding all the exam centres and it was taken for granted that most of the students would cheat or use unfair means.

Things however improved after stern actions were initiated by vigilantes and while it is a matter of debate whether the methods they used were agreeable or not, the fact is that situation has improved.

What was witnessed at Bihar a few days back was something common here, though Manipur does not have high rise school buildings being used as exam centres.

There may be no quick fix solutions but it is not difficult to understand why numerous students resort to unfair means during the Boards’ exams.

With students really not coming to terms with the fact that they do need to study to pass or excel in the exams, marks had to be achieved by any means and cheating is an easy way out.

Parents and guardians too are under the impression that the manner in which marks are scored does not matter as long as their children and wards do not get caught in the act of copying or cheating.

Teachers too are responsible to some extent for the culture of cheating in the exam halls.

With the teachers reluctant or unwilling to take their jobs seriously, students are not taught anything worthwhile inside the class rooms.

Once exam times come cheating then becomes the easy option for numerous students.

Moreover the obsession with marks and more marks without caring about the knowledge gained is another factor.

Cheating in exams was the hallmark in Manipur earlier but the trend is yet to be stemmed in Bihar. Cannot say anything for the other States but it would not be shocking if the same trend is in vogue there too.