Question Leak: Govt, ministry not guilty, says JS body

Amid widespread criticism over the leak of question papers of even primary level students, a parliamentary standing committee yesterday blamed it all on the upazila level teachers' associations.

Although different quarters hold the government and the ministry concerned responsible for failing to check such incidents, the committee on primary and mass education thinks differently.

“Neither the government nor the ministry prepares the questions of class-I to class-IV. These questions are prepared by the upazila level teachers' associations. That's why none of the government or the ministry can be blamed [for the leaks]," Motahar Hossain, chief of the JS body, said after a meeting at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.

Later at a briefing at the Jatiya Sangsad Media Centre, Motahar, also a former state minister for primary and mass education, repeated the comment.

There have been widespread allegations of leak of question papers of different examinations, including university admission tests, in recent years.

In the latest incident, the final exams of mathematics for class-I and class-IV were suspended on Monday at all the 123 primary schools of Natore Sadar as leaked question papers of the tests were recovered from a primary school.

A few days before the incident, the question papers of “Paribesh Parichiti” of class-I and “Bangladesh O Biswa Parichay” of class-IV were leaked during the final tests in Barguna Sadar, prompting the authorities concerned to postpone examinations in all 248 primary schools.

On December 12, the deputy commissioner of Munshiganj also had to postpone tests for class-II and class-IV at 119 schools after the question papers had been leaked.

This was the first time when questions of primary level students were reported to be leaked.

Expressing concern and shock at the incidents, Sultana Kamal, a leading human rights activist and executive director of Ain o Salish Kendra, on December 13 told The Daily Star, “Children, who have not grown up mentally, are being subjected to corrupt process. Nothing could be more frightening than that. These shocking incidents are taking place as we have failed to stop corruption.”

In reply to a question, Motahar, also a ruling Awami League MP, yesterday told reporters that they actually don't know how the question papers of class-I to class-IV were leaked.

He, however, said they have asked the authorities concerned to take effective measures to stop the repetition of such incidents.

Claiming that leaking of question paper is "nothing new", Motahar said question papers were also leaked when he appeared for his matriculation examination in 1965.

At the briefing, Motahar also talked about the ministry's different measures to recover grabbed lands of different primary schools.