Cheating in Class X, Class XII exams Reflection of society
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Complements each other, perfectly at that one may say. Sections of the candidates who appeared for the Class XII examinations this year ensured a fiery start with answer sheets being torn apart on day I of the examination on February 17 at Wabagai Higher Secondary School in Kakching district. In a seeming decision not to be outdone by the fiery start to the Class XII examinations, a Principal, a Vice-Principal and another individual who runs a boarding school, were pulled up for allegedly preparing and supplying notes to students of Class X to cheat their way on the last day of the HSLC examination on March 23. A classic case of players central to the Class X and Class XII examinations leaving no stone unturned not to be outdone by the other in the ‘cheating and use of foul means’ department. What punitive action the Council of Higher Secondary Education, Manipur will take up against the students who tore up their answer sheets is yet to be known, but the very incident itself was a reflection of the rot that has seeped deep into the consciousness of a number of students. It is the same thing with what happened on March 23 on the last day of the HSLC examination. Two cases wherein the main players have been identified but let it not be forgotten that there could have been others who were more ‘fortunate’ and managed to ‘escape’ being detected. This is what is worrying for what happened on February 17 and March 23, is noting but a reflection on the overall stage of rot in which the two most important examinations for school students have sunk to. These are cases which should have actually goaded the different student bodies and civil society organisations to do some soul searching and look for ways to see how to ‘educate’ the youngsters that cheating is just not acceptable, for ultimately it is a case of cheating oneself. The rot but look beyond and it is heartening to see a student body at the fore in combating the ills of cheating in public examinations and from day 1 of the Class X and Class XII examinations, the Democratic Students’ Alliance of Manipur (DESAM), has been at the forefront to check the use of unfair means in the said examinations. It is also there for one and all to see that it was DESAM, amongst the student organisations, to openly state its stand against the February 17 incident at Wabagai Higher Secondary School, Kakching. It is such stand that Manipur should be acknowledging and this goes with the position which the said student body has been maintaining for years and that is to make ‘education a free zone’. And again it is in line with this slogan that DESAM has been taking a proactive role to check use of unfair means in the Class X and Class XII examinations and has for years been concentrating on issues related to the education of students. A point which Manipur should not look over and which the Government should definitely acknowledge.
Class X and Class XII. These are two of the most important stages in the life of school students but the manner in which some of these students have conducted themselves in the just concluded HSLC and HSSLC examinations is cause for worry. What are the values that have been imparted to the young students ? A question that should be raised by everyone for even as the students who went wild at Wabagai Higher Secondary School on February 17 should be penalised, society as a whole is also guilty of failing to impart the right values and ‘education’ to the young minds. Can one say that it is society which has promoted the mindset that ‘goondaism’ and ‘cheating’ can take one forward in life ? An honest look inward is the call of the hour for in many ways one has to look beyond what is taught in the classrooms and the discipline that is laid down in each household and see the environment in which youngsters are made to grow. When fly by night operators, when those with muscle power, are accorded what is usually seen as being ‘successful’ in life, then it is obvious that a warped sense of achievement would have been drilled into the mindset of the youngsters. And what Manipur witnessed on February 17 at an examination centre reflects the values that are passed on to the youngsters. ‘Cheating’ and ‘goondaism’ are not virtues and to demonstrate this, society should stop worshipping false heroes and heroines.
Class X and Class XII. These are two of the most important stages in the life of school students but the manner in which some of these students have conducted themselves in the just concluded HSLC and HSSLC examinations is cause for worry. What are the values that have been imparted to the young students ? A question that should be raised by everyone for even as the students who went wild at Wabagai Higher Secondary School on February 17 should be penalised, society as a whole is also guilty of failing to impart the right values and ‘education’ to the young minds. Can one say that it is society which has promoted the mindset that ‘goondaism’ and ‘cheating’ can take one forward in life ? An honest look inward is the call of the hour for in many ways one has to look beyond what is taught in the classrooms and the discipline that is laid down in each household and see the environment in which youngsters are made to grow. When fly by night operators, when those with muscle power, are accorded what is usually seen as being ‘successful’ in life, then it is obvious that a warped sense of achievement would have been drilled into the mindset of the youngsters. And what Manipur witnessed on February 17 at an examination centre reflects the values that are passed on to the youngsters. ‘Cheating’ and ‘goondaism’ are not virtues and to demonstrate this, society should stop worshipping false heroes and heroines.