A couple of weeks back, I met an ex-student of mine who was carrying a copy of the question paper of the District Level Examination Board (DLEB). I was curious to know how she had managed to get it. She replied that she had bought it for Rs. 50 from a friend of hers who was studying in another school.
Last year, too, I had met students who were sharing question papers of the DLEB just a day before the examinations. The practice of leaking questions long before the exams has been going on in Nepal for some time, but no one seems to be bothered. This raises questions about whether the exams conducted in our country are fair at all.
This problem exists not only in the DLEB but also in the SLC examinations. Apart from question leakages, invigilators and principals are known to encourage students to engage in unfair means as was the case in some of the centres during this year’s SLC exams. It has also come to light that while arranging the seat plan, invigilators or the concerned people see to it that their children or relatives sit next to good students.
A similar incident took place last year when I was taking my Bachelor’s in Poetry exams last year in one of the public schools at Jawalakhel. A student who was sitting right in front of me had placed a guide book on her lap and was copying the answers unperturbed. The invigilator passed by her but didn’t mark her although he noticed what was going on.
Exams are no longer conducted fairly in our country, nor are the exam papers checked properly. So judging a candidate on the basis of his mark sheet is not fair.
Since the examinations are not conducted strictly, students who labour and study hard are at the losing end, while those who buy guide books, guess papers and TU solution papers a month before the exams and cheat obtain better marks and will be considered potential students for further education. Such a culture definitely undermines our exam system and leads the talented and hard working students to an uncertain future.
Why are the concerned authorities quiet on the issue? Why don’t the various student unions try to discourage such malpractices? Could this be one of the reasons why more and more Nepalese youngsters prefer to study abroad when one can avail of the same education in Nepal itself?
(Source: The Rising Nepal)
