Education board cracks its whip on mass copying
By Yogesh
Avasthi | Jul 29, 2016, http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/ahmedabad/cover-story/Education-board-cracks-its-whip-on-mass-copying/articleshow/53439921.cms
The state
education board has been vindicated in its suspicion of mass copying at three
class 10 board examination centres. When results were announced on Tuesday,
only four out of 251 students, who had appeared in supplementary examinations
after being suspected of cheating in March exam, managed to pass. While
cracking the whip on 468 students who were under the scanner, the Gujarat
Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB) also came across a new
modus operandi of mass cheating that escaped camera surveillance inside
examination classrooms.
Other than the four that passed, the rest scored marks between 0 and 18 from a total of 100. The 251 students were suspected of cheating in Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) that carry 50% weightage in a 100-mark question paper. These students had given the exam at Lambadiya (Sabarkantha), Choila (Aravalli) and Bhikapur (Chhota Udepur) centres. Board officials plan to take strict action against all the three errant school authorities. The likelihood of mass cheating first came to light when a data analysis by the Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board exposed the discrepancy between marks scored in MCQ and subjective questions.
Other than the four that passed, the rest scored marks between 0 and 18 from a total of 100. The 251 students were suspected of cheating in Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) that carry 50% weightage in a 100-mark question paper. These students had given the exam at Lambadiya (Sabarkantha), Choila (Aravalli) and Bhikapur (Chhota Udepur) centres. Board officials plan to take strict action against all the three errant school authorities. The likelihood of mass cheating first came to light when a data analysis by the Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board exposed the discrepancy between marks scored in MCQ and subjective questions.
"A closer analysis and data collation revealed the difference in performance
of 468 students who appeared for exams from these three centres. These students
had scored between 45 and 50 marks out of 50 in the MCQ section while scoring
less than 10 out of 50 marks in the subjective questions," a GSHSEB
official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said. The state board summoned
all suspected students for a hearing at the GSHSEB headquarters in June, where
seven students confessed they had been dictated answers to the MCQs.
Other students claimed they had written answers taught by teachers but had eventually forgotten them, officials said. "The results of these 468 students had been held back but after the hearing, the 468 students were declared failed in the March 2016 exams," the GSHSEB official said. From these, 346 students were found eligible to appear in supplementary exams for two subjects. "In case of these students, the discrepancy in the marks scored in MCQ and subjective section was less as compared to the others. While all 346 students we-re informed about their eligibility of appearing for the supplementary exam, only 251appeared for the exams from July 8 to July 11," the official added.
Results declared two days ago showed only four students had passed while the others had scored not more than 18 out of 100 marks. An official said, "The board has started the process to take action against supervisors at all the three centres. They might also lose their eligibility to be supervisors in future." GSHSEB Chairperson A J Shah told Mirror, "The board will take strict action against the school authorities and those involved in the case."
Other students claimed they had written answers taught by teachers but had eventually forgotten them, officials said. "The results of these 468 students had been held back but after the hearing, the 468 students were declared failed in the March 2016 exams," the GSHSEB official said. From these, 346 students were found eligible to appear in supplementary exams for two subjects. "In case of these students, the discrepancy in the marks scored in MCQ and subjective section was less as compared to the others. While all 346 students we-re informed about their eligibility of appearing for the supplementary exam, only 251appeared for the exams from July 8 to July 11," the official added.
Results declared two days ago showed only four students had passed while the others had scored not more than 18 out of 100 marks. An official said, "The board has started the process to take action against supervisors at all the three centres. They might also lose their eligibility to be supervisors in future." GSHSEB Chairperson A J Shah told Mirror, "The board will take strict action against the school authorities and those involved in the case."
