Pune: The Std VIII English question paper for Progressive Assessment Test (PAT) scheduled for Monday was leaked a day before the exam and uploaded on an online video sharing platform. The assessment is conducted in govt schools across Maharashtra to gauge students’ learning levels. Teachers and students alerted the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) after discovering the leaked paper along with solved answers on multiple channels of the platform. SCERT commissioner Rahul Rekhawar said that the process of registering an FIR against four such channels has been initiated. He added, “Considering the scale of the examination with more than 85 lakh question papers to be handled for three subjects and three standards, a board-like exam cannot be conducted. Such channels indulging in malpractice have significantly reduced now due to the policy of lodging an FIR against them and shutting them down with the help of the cyber cell.“Similar leaks were reported in last year’s PAT as well, following which the cyber cell shut down several channels. Despite the latest leak, Monday’s exam was conducted as scheduled across all schools.Mahendra Ganpule, former vice-president of State Headmasters’ Association, said, “The fully solved English PAT paper for Monday was uploaded 23 hours before the exam. If this continues, SCERT should officially be declared an inactive administration. There should be widespread demand to immediately stop conducting these meaningless exams. Every time they file a case, the same names appear. SCERT justifies it by saying there’s no confidentiality because this isn’t a board exam.“Credibility in question The mathematics question paper was also circulated, raising doubts about the secrecy and credibility of the exam systemTeachers must not evaluate students’ answer sheets when students are writing from leaked papers, experts said SCERT commissioner said the aim of the examination was to sensitise teachers and students and parents about the level of studies expected at each stage of academic life about each learning objectiveMSID:: 124530681 413 |
