Aurangabad: Malpractices in the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination evolve in keeping with changing needs. That is evident from a letter by Aurangabad district education officer BB Chavan to all school principals. Chavan notes in his letter that “mass dictation” was rampant during the recently concluded examination, conducted in accordance with a new and revised syllabus.The revised curriculum could have left students scratching their heads for answers, as it was designed to test application of knowledge and had scope for open-ended answers. Instead, the education officer noted that schools had made provision for students to get the right answer without a great deal of effort, as the correct answers were just dictated to them in the examination halls!Ironically, Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHE) officially registered only 32 copying cases during SSC examinations in Aurangabad district.Chavan writes that he was taken aback by the scale of the cheating, and its brazenness. “The revised curriculum for SSC has left very little scope for students to indulge in traditional ways of malpractices. However, the elements concerned were found dictating answers to entire examination hall in a brazen manner,” Chavan said.“The enthusiasm shown by school managements and teachers while aiding students in an unethical way to write papers was worth seeing. The copy-free examination will continue to remain a dream until these elements are educated.”The officer states that the inflated SSC scores that result from these practices will mislead students into careers they are ill-prepared for. The officer has sought deeper introspection on the part of all concerned.Chavan, who was posted at Mumbai before arriving in Aurangabad, on Sunday said he observed stark differences in the conduct of board examinations in Marathwada. “Examination centres from the outskirts and those from rural areas are highly vulnerable to evolved malpractices. The role played by school managements and teachers is sickening. Undoubtedly, these elements are receiving some monetary benefits,” he said.Asked what action he had taken against examination centres where answers were dictated, he said a few centres were subjected to legitimate action under the rules. “I believe targeting students alone will not serve the purpose. Students proven guilty of malpractices get debarred. However, the core issues remain. There is a need for large-scale awareness among school authorities, parents and teachers,” Chavan said.MSBSHE Aurangabad division secretary Sugata Punne said she was not aware of the letter or of the widespread dictation of answers during examinations. “I will be able to comment on the letter only after reading it,” she said.

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