As cheating continues in exams, lawmakers fail to pass the test
PPP legislator Alwani is determined to re-introduce bill after budget.
KARACHI:
Nearly 2,500 students have been caught cheating during the ongoing higher secondary examinations but an attempt by a lawmaker to tackle the problem at that level two years ago was shot down.
Pakistan Peoples Party MPA Humera Alwani tabled the ‘Sindh elimination of copy culture and cheating in exams’ bill along with the ‘Mainpuri and Gutka’ bill in 2009. While the bill to ban gutka has now been referred to a standing committee for review, the cheating in exams bill had to be withdrawn.
Alwani told The Express Tribune that she had to withdraw the cheating bill as she was shown an ordinance by fellow lawmakers on the same issue. She was asked to only propose amendments and not an entire bill. “[But] an ordinance lapses after three months. The ordinance I was shown was supposedly passed in 2000. I don’t know how it is still in effect.” She said that she has yet to see any student punished for cheating. “Such acts should be made an offence. Those who cheat and those who facilitate cheating should either pay a fine or serve a prison term. Only then can we get rid of this menace.” Sources insinuated that Alwani was forced to withdraw the bill by her fellow lawmakers. She denied the suggestion.
Alwani, meanwhile, has said that she intends to make certain amendments to her existing bill and present it again after the budget.
A draft of that bill, available with The Express Tribune, envisions a comprehensive surveillance system to get rid of this menace from government schools, colleges and institutions. It defines the rules on inquiries, penalties and punishments for those found copying from others or cheating through written or verbal help from examiners or other people found inside or outside the examination hall.
The bill recommends constituting a five-member committee, under the supervision of the district and sessions judge of the relevant district, with the judicial magistrate, a representative of the examination board, principal or headmaster, district council representative and a police officer not below the rank of a sub-inspector as members.
The members will ensure that the examination process is conducted smoothly and that no candidate is involved in copying or cheating. They will also keep a watch on invigilators, teaching staff or any other person inside the examination centre.
Later, the committee will prepare a report on the number of cases detected at the end of each paper. Any candidate found guilty shall be rusticated for one year but it may be extended to three years of his or her academic career.
Meanwhile, the invigilator or other staff found helping a candidate cheat will be imprisoned for anywhere between 30 days and six months or pay a fine of up to Rs50,000. Any outsider found helping the student will be imprisoned for anywhere between 30 days and six months.
According to Alwani, she had tabled the bill because the deteriorating standard and quality of education across Sindh requires immediate attention. “We had also suggested punishments for those bookstore owners involved in selling examination materials,” she added.
The University of Karachi teachers’ society president Prof. Dr Abid Husnain agreed that copy culture and cheating are big issues and the bill should have been taken up. Besides cheating, students are able to obtain degrees without even appearing in the exams, he added.
“It causes a great loss to our talent as some ‘black sheep’ in the guise of teachers make cheating possible. I will suggest the lawmakers insert a provision to monitor the activities of education boards as well.” Dr Husnain said there is also a need to bring changes in the examination system so that students cannot get the paper solved through guide books and solved papers.
Meanwhile, Alwani added that more than 80 per cent of oral cancer is caused by mainpuri and gutka. She suggested that the law relating to narcotic drugs be amended and that the government control the production, proceeding, trafficking and sale of mainpuri and gutka.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 31st, 2011.
Nearly 2,500 students have been caught cheating during the ongoing higher secondary examinations but an attempt by a lawmaker to tackle the problem at that level two years ago was shot down.
Pakistan Peoples Party MPA Humera Alwani tabled the ‘Sindh elimination of copy culture and cheating in exams’ bill along with the ‘Mainpuri and Gutka’ bill in 2009. While the bill to ban gutka has now been referred to a standing committee for review, the cheating in exams bill had to be withdrawn.
Alwani told The Express Tribune that she had to withdraw the cheating bill as she was shown an ordinance by fellow lawmakers on the same issue. She was asked to only propose amendments and not an entire bill. “[But] an ordinance lapses after three months. The ordinance I was shown was supposedly passed in 2000. I don’t know how it is still in effect.” She said that she has yet to see any student punished for cheating. “Such acts should be made an offence. Those who cheat and those who facilitate cheating should either pay a fine or serve a prison term. Only then can we get rid of this menace.” Sources insinuated that Alwani was forced to withdraw the bill by her fellow lawmakers. She denied the suggestion.
Alwani, meanwhile, has said that she intends to make certain amendments to her existing bill and present it again after the budget.
A draft of that bill, available with The Express Tribune, envisions a comprehensive surveillance system to get rid of this menace from government schools, colleges and institutions. It defines the rules on inquiries, penalties and punishments for those found copying from others or cheating through written or verbal help from examiners or other people found inside or outside the examination hall.
The bill recommends constituting a five-member committee, under the supervision of the district and sessions judge of the relevant district, with the judicial magistrate, a representative of the examination board, principal or headmaster, district council representative and a police officer not below the rank of a sub-inspector as members.
The members will ensure that the examination process is conducted smoothly and that no candidate is involved in copying or cheating. They will also keep a watch on invigilators, teaching staff or any other person inside the examination centre.
Later, the committee will prepare a report on the number of cases detected at the end of each paper. Any candidate found guilty shall be rusticated for one year but it may be extended to three years of his or her academic career.
Meanwhile, the invigilator or other staff found helping a candidate cheat will be imprisoned for anywhere between 30 days and six months or pay a fine of up to Rs50,000. Any outsider found helping the student will be imprisoned for anywhere between 30 days and six months.
According to Alwani, she had tabled the bill because the deteriorating standard and quality of education across Sindh requires immediate attention. “We had also suggested punishments for those bookstore owners involved in selling examination materials,” she added.
The University of Karachi teachers’ society president Prof. Dr Abid Husnain agreed that copy culture and cheating are big issues and the bill should have been taken up. Besides cheating, students are able to obtain degrees without even appearing in the exams, he added.
“It causes a great loss to our talent as some ‘black sheep’ in the guise of teachers make cheating possible. I will suggest the lawmakers insert a provision to monitor the activities of education boards as well.” Dr Husnain said there is also a need to bring changes in the examination system so that students cannot get the paper solved through guide books and solved papers.
Meanwhile, Alwani added that more than 80 per cent of oral cancer is caused by mainpuri and gutka. She suggested that the law relating to narcotic drugs be amended and that the government control the production, proceeding, trafficking and sale of mainpuri and gutka.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 31st, 2011.