Procedural lapses in HSLC examinations

The cancellation of General Science examination of the ongoing High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) Examinations following reported leakage of the question paper shows that the Board of Secondary Education, Assam (SEBA) has utterly failed to evolve a fool-proof examination procedure that eliminates the scope of such sabotage. Over 4.25 lakh students appearing in HSLC examinations as well as their parents and guardians had to suffer mental agony due to incompetencies of the SEBA. Those involved in the criminal act of paper leak and sabotaging the examination must be brought to book and meted out exemplary punishment. Assam Police have ordered a probe by its Criminal Investigation Department. A thorough probe should also be conducted by the State Government to pinpoint administrative lapses and fix accountability. Heads should roll over the failures to plug the gaps in the procedure that was leveraged by the saboteurs. SEBA’s examination procedure needs complete overhaul to prevent recurrence of such sabotage and anomalies in conduct of examination so that career prospects of lakhs of students in the state studying in vernacular medium educational institutions affiliated to the board are not jeopardized by yawning gaps in the procedure. Majority of these educational institutions by public funded, persistent anomalies and procedural gaps in the HSLC examination system has led to erosion of faith in SEBA among parents and guardians who have opted for educational institutions affiliated to Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). Decreasing number of students has led to merger of some vernacular medium SEBA-affiliated schools. If this trend is not checked, more government schools may be closed down which does not bode well for future vernacular medium students and will pose grave threat to future Assamese and other indigenous language speakers. It will deprive them of receiving quality education in mother tongues and create hurdles for them in seeking quality higher education and better career opportunities. The SEBA has changed question papers and examination patterns, but it has miserably failed to address the gaps in examination procedure which also needs dynamic changes to keep pace with new challenges. It is time to focus on technology-based and digital solutions such as encrypted question papers to prevent leakage. The fact that the announcement of cancellation of General Science examination not reaching many candidates who were shocked to know about it only after reaching the examination centres says a lot about lacunae in the system and a casual approach by the SEBA. The SEBA failing to directly reach out to each candidate instantly in an ecosystem where the country takes pride in exponential growth in digital transaction is also indicative of gaps in planning process. Under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the school education will end in class 12 while SEBA and the Assam Higher Secondary Education Council (ASHEC), which conducts the Higher Secondary examinations, are proposed to be merged into single entity. Mere merger of SEBA and ASHEC without adequate reforms is bound to be pose same hurdles for the new entity and the objectives of NEP 2020 will be lost in recurrence of examination-related anomalies even after advancement is made in curriculum and teaching-learning ecosystem. The SEBA episode has also brought to the fore the allegations leakage of Chemistry paper of the Higher Secondary (Science) examination. Both ASHEC and the State Government, however, have denied the leakage and claimed the reports to be fake. The circulation of rumours of paper leak indicates existence of a vested force to sabotage the examinations conducted by SEBA and AHSEC. Assam government needs to take cognizance of this vested force and direct Assam Police to bust the gang of criminals and saboteurs and bring them to book. Lessons must be learnt and the process of evolving a modern and fool proof examination for class 12 under the NEP should immediately start to instil confidence among students and parents. One way of preparing for conducting the final examinations smoothly and without any disruption of paper leakage and anomalies in evaluation is to hold wide-ranging consultations with academic experts, educationists. The proposed entity seeking guidance on examination management from National Testing Agency which has been entrusted the responsibility of conducting Common University Entrance Test, UGC-NET, NEET, and JEE Apex Board which has been entrusted the responsibility of conducting JEE Mains and JEE Advanced for entrance into undergraduate courses in IITs, NITs and other Centrally Funded Technical Institutions will go a long way in bridging the gaps and improving procedural safeguards against paper leakage. Expediting such learnings will be necessary to ensure that deficiencies in the system are removed as quicky as possible so that objectives of NEP can be achieved without any hinderance. For now, SEBA and State Government must reassure HSLC candidates that examinations of remaining papers, including the General Science paper, will be conducted smoothly and no cancellations will recur.