Editorial
Cheating at exams
A change of attitude noticeable
Since the beginning of the Higher Secondary Certificate examinations we have been witnessing scenes at the test centres that are markedly different from the exam days of previous years. At least that's the impression we get from the reports in newspapers. We haven't seen any large scale cheating; we haven't seen students being searched in public for copy chits; there has not been any pandemonium at the centres nor have we heard of thousands of students being expelled for cheating. Undoubtedly, the credit for this should largely go to the strict measures taken by the government. There doesn't seem to be any doubt that steps like frisking at the entrance, fining for copy shreds found, installation of close circuit camera at troublesome centres and deploying Rapid Action Force for vigilance brought the change in scenes we had been used to for last few years. But all these measures have not been hundred per cent successful either. We have seen photographs of madrassah students falling at the feet of State Minister for Education on being caught redhanded. We have also read stories of teachers beaten up by students expelled for cheating. The measures have more or less proved effective in bringing down the number of expellees to a considerable extent. And that's the kind of success the authorities should build upon to make the exams as fool-proof as possible. It's now more than obvious that sincere efforts by authorities do bear fruit. We simply hope that taking cue from this they will continue to strive for better results including a change in the social attitude of resignation to, or even acceptance of, anything that's not normal or legal. To curb the menace of cheating in examinations, nothing short of coordinated efforts by teachers, parents and the saner majority of the student community are needed.
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