Eradicate the malaise of copying

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Eradicate the malaise of copying

Monday, 19 February 2018 | JS Rajput

The Uttar Pradesh Government must be applauded for launching a crackdown on the notorious  ‘nakal mafia'. It must now formulate strategies for a real transformation of the education system

Uttar Pradesh, the most populous State of the Indian Union, is conducting its annual class X and XII school board examinations. There are reports that unprecedented steps have been put in place to prevent copying in these examinations.   Even those unaware of the tight hold of education  ‘nakal’ mafia in the State, would be surprised to note that out of over 66 lakh enrolled aspirants,  around 10 lakh  have  abandoned examination within the first four days. The exodus continues.  The nakal mafia is so well-entrenched and ‘reputed’ in the State that it attracts ‘aspirants’ from several other States. Facing all odds, it has not given up.  In eastern parts of the State, during the visit of the District Magistrate, some students  caught cheating, ran away and jumped into a canal to sail to the safe shores. 

The rampant past practice of smuggling the answer sheet outside the examination hall and get these back after answers have been ‘inserted’, continues to make its presence felt at several places. Cases of impersonation are being reported from different centres every day. The nuggets of information and communication technology are being put to use, obviously with inputs from sophisticated technical expertise and cooperation from the school functionaries.  

Reports also indicate cases of invigilators dictating answers, which is a well-known practice, perfected over the last couple of decades. When principals and teachers are caught helping candidates in copying, in spite of massive State efforts against it, indications are how the wreckers within the education system have divorced their sense of civic responsibility.

 One would like to narrate a personal experience that took place a couple of years ago during a private visit to a village in central Uttar Pradesh. The village has a Government primary school   which was in place in 1950, but has not been upgraded, in spite of the manifold rise in population. Why soIJ The reason was simple: All efforts of the villagers in that direction were nullified by elements that opened a private school.  Now, they own a college as well.  While interacting with some of the teachers, it was distressing to know how a pittance of salary they were getting. 

More surprise was in store — one of them revealed; and others did not disagree; that things are not really so bad. Earning is good during examination days, we assist candidates in different ways and they pay us sumptuously.  There are differential rates for the type of ‘services’ rendered to the candidates; they could make their choice, depending on their capacity to pay. The village attracts candidates from far and wide.   Good number of people wait for the season as ‘outside’ candidates need a place to stay and that too is an opportunity for economic gains.  Such practices and centres could be counted in hundreds, if not thousands, spread across the State. A million have dropped out of exams already, at least another 50-60 per cent would face failure when results are announced. One could safely presume a figure of more than three million young persons in one year made to bear the burden of failure throughout their life. My own rough estimate throughout the country would be of around 10 million young persons who are made to lead the rest of their life in ignominy, humiliation and an uncertain future. How could Uttar Pradesh or India afford such a massive wastage of youth powerIJ  Imagine the fate of those children and young persons who succeed in Class X, XII and even at graduate level with the help of nakal mafia and a generous financial inputs from the family.

Many would recall that realising the growing menace of copying in board examinations, the then Education Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Rajnath Singh, got an anti-copying Ordinance issued in 1992, making copying a cognizable offence. Class X and XII results dropped down to 14.7 and 30.4 respectively.  His political opponents seized the opportunity, and declared that if they come to power, this Ordinance would be rescinded within an hour. They came to power and the Ordinance was thrown to dustbin, as promised.  Unscrupulous elements have played havoc with the young of India for decades together in several Provinces.  Copying and the presence of nakal mafia is not a problem only in Uttar Pradesh.

Bihar immediately comes to mind. The fact remains that several States suffer this debilitating malice.  The nakal mafia survives because it receives support from parents and society. In spite of extensive ‘bandobast’ organised by the State Government, it is clear that those who survive on such unscrupulous practices have not given up. Obviously, the money that changes hands comes from the parents who are well aware of what they are doing.

Tackling the nakal mafia is a must — it deserves total support from all quarters. Credit must be given to the Uttar Pradesh Government for their courage to confront corrupt practices that begin from within the system. An objective scrutiny will reveal a broader, bigger and distressing scenario that leaves little scope for the students to get right school support in acquiring adequate learning and self-confidence to face the board examinations.

Who is not familiar with the fact that Uttar Pradesh has acute shortage of teachers at each stage of school educationIJ The bureaucracy prefers shiksha karmis and guest teachers instead of properly trained teachers on regular basis. How could students be blamed for such a situationIJ  They are not properly guided and if student-taught ratio is too large, there is little scope of personal interaction. If teachers are not available in adequate numbers; if the discipline is lax; if superior authorities do not enjoy credibility, parents are bound to get worried.

Decision makers should have woken up when the success rates of Teacher Eligibility Test did not cross double figures. It indicates the miserable state of affairs of the teacher education systems. One could speak from personal experience that Government-run teacher education colleges; Colleges of Teacher Education, Institutes of Advanced Study in Education and the District Institutes of Education and Training remain in a state of utter neglect, invariably under serious constraints of manpower shortage and starved on funds. Once the quality deteriorates there, its regenerative impact travels to schools. Wrecking havoc with the education system and the future of the youth of India cannot be allowed to go unchecked. Short-term arrangements and strict corrective action are necessary, but long-term strategies must be evolved and put in place. 

The State must reveal its plans for a total revamp of the system; how shall it make every school truly functional  with teacher’s presence on regular basis;  punctuality being put to practice; and also ensure that its district level officers are not interested only in transfer and postings, but have an inclination to comprehend school requirements.

They must learn how to deal with teachers, give them due respect and support them in performing their assigned task. let States like Uttar Pradesh formulate their strategies for  a real  transformation of the education system on the premise of an indigenous epistemological  base, focus on utilising the latest advances in Information and Communications Technology, and include an intensive focus on value education in schools, particularly in teacher preparation  institutions. From inflicting acute anxiety and fear, let examination time become an occasion for hope and inspiration for a brighter future.

(The writer is former Director, NCERT and an educationist)

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