RECENTLY, HSC and SSC examinations were held at various educational institutions of Karachi.
In the past, the moment you heard of examinations, you would become alert and take them very seriously. You would always find students busy with their studies throughout the academic session. In those days, things like the examiner, examination papers, and invigilators were considered very important, and diligent students loved to have their names on the list of successful and brilliant people of the country.
There have been so many such students who made their country proud in the fields of medicine, engineering, education, law, business and even in politics. And while taking a test, they would never indulge in the shameful act of cheating, an issue that is a very important one in present-day context. Indeed, the cancer of cheating has spread to every part of our society. It has reached a stage where it has to be eliminated from its roots.
Like cancer and Aids, cheating assumed uncontrollable proportions in the last decade. To gauge verity of this observation you have to go through the newspapers that hit the newsstands a few weeks ago. “Cheating is at its peak,” read one headline.
Newspapers also informed us that “two bags of cheating material were obtained from an examination centre; invigilator was threatened when he declined to cooperate.”
In addition to that, it was reported that 70 students were caught red-handed while cheating, and another group of students ran away along with examination copies. A news item read: “The examination paper came out before it was handed over to students.”
These were some items related to the topic under discussion; but the situation becomes more horrible when you experience it personally.
Now, I take you to an examination centre where you will witness the first day of test. After a few minutes, intermediate physics test will commence. Two invigilators are deputed in each examination hall. But these two poor invigilators will find themselves helpless when students start to copy their answer, that is, indulge in cheating. They will not be able to control it.
It is 9am and examination papers of physics are being distributed among the candidates, who have a strange expression on their faces. It is quite justified, because throughout the year they did not bother to study. Half an hour remains before the test starts. Pretty soon, a solved paper of physics, that is answers to all questions, is to be distributed, something that everyone wants. The experts are busy with solving and distributing today’s paper.
“Madam please call the teacher, wearing a blue shirt,” a candidate asks me in a carefree way.
“But why? That invigilator is in room number five,” is my reply, but amazingly that boy keeps on asking me to call that teacher. He tells me that the teacher in blue shirt teaches physics and he wants to know the answers to the questions given in the paper.
After an hour, cheating is at its peak. Candidates have taken out pharrey from their pockets, socks and caps. Pharrey are tiny pieces of papers on which detailed answers are written.
One candidate sitting to my right side has taken out a paper, filled with instructions like, answers to the 1st and 2nd chapter in the right sock, answers to objective questions in the left sock, diagrams inside the pocket and chapter numbers three and four under the cap ...
“Oh my goodness, what hard work would have gone into making the index,” I say to myself.
One would be aware of the fact that until a few years back, micro photo-copies were quite common among all cheaters, but now proper files and textbooks written with relevant matter are brought into examination halls. What a development in the field of education!
It is also a fact that our nation doesn’t take long to become fed up with traditional and in-vogue practices. This can be seen in their lifestyle and eating habits. Even in the introduction of new governments this can be witnessed quite clearly. So, employing traditional cheating material is almost out from examination halls. Now textbooks, notebooks and mobile phones can be seen with students as their aid. Common practices such as going to the washroom in case of a difficult question comes up, is no more beneficial. In the past, washrooms of examination centres were the place from where a student could get the required answers.
Ah, what’s going to be the end to this situation. It’s time authorities concerned did something concrete about the issue.
