Thursday, May 22, 2008, Jamadi-ul-Awwal 15, 1429    

MPA calls for changes in examination system

Hyderabad— MPA Humera Alwani in a press conference here discussed the proposed draft bill titled “Elimination of copy culture and cheating in examinations Bill-2008”. She said the draft was shared with the media to help engender public opinion and seek fruitful recommendations from people which may be incorporated in the draft before being tabled and adopted by the provincial assembly.Humera Alwani said deteriorating standard and quality of education throughout Sindh required immediate attention and urgent steps to be taken to save the future generation.
Keeping in view the prevailing conditions in the field of education, she said it was imperative to adopt rational measures and it was also the need of the hour to bring vital changes in the prevailing examination system.
“We must focus our efforts to discourage use of all types of unfair means which are commonly known as copy culture or cheating during the examinations and other additional matters”, she said. She said that while reviewing the situation, it was observed that the candidates and their supporters, inside and outside the examination centres, took all liberty in using unfair means. Guide books, solved papers and photostat copies, MPA said were freely used for the purpose of cheating in examinations.
Member Sindh Assembly said sellers and bookstore owners were also registered to be involved in selling said material, during examination hours, knowingly to be used for cheating purpose. She regretted that they were never held accountable.Almani said that during the examinations, the outsiders and unauthorized persons freely keep roaming in and around the examination halls and centres while mobs of supporters gathered outside the compound of these centres to assist the candidates.
Similarly, she said bring in or using electronic devices or other material supposed to be helpful in cheating during examinations (except calculators) were neither disallowed nor objected in most of the cases. MPA Humera Alwani said the practice of changing seating arrangements and accommodating some candidates in the special halls to facilitate them has also been notices many a times.—APP