The ruckus caused following the 62.25 per cent pass, the lowest in 19 years, in the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations was not for nothing. But its follow-up has failed to generate the kind of debate it deserves. A record number of examinees, 4,585 to be precise, have passed after re-evaluation of their answer scripts. As many as 402,052 examinees out of a total of 1,829,485---almost a quarter of all examinees---applied for re-scrutiny of their answer sheets. What is remarkable is that 56,259 examinees had their scores changed and 27,836 of them now see that their grade has improved. On top of this, another 3,079 examinees achieved GPA (grade point average) 5.
When such a large scale change happens following a re-evaluation of answer scripts, credibility of the existing evaluation system becomes a casualty. Who knows if more examinees had their results changed for the better if they also applied for re-scrutiny! Although there is no provision for a change for the worse, such a possibility also cannot be ruled out. Presumably, examinees who were supremely confident that their performances have been undervalued dared ask for a re-evaluation. It is quite likely that examinees from poor families could not manage the fees required for applying for a recheck of their answer scripts.
Another disturbing thought assails the mind in connection with the suicide committed by a few examinees. Ten examinees brought a premature end to their lives following poor results. What if even one of them was a victim of wrong evaluation! Who will be answerable for the tragedy? Even if the more than 0.4 million who had the temerity to challenge the initial scores were subjected to psychological trauma. Particularly to those who among them had their grade elevated to the top echelon GPA 5 had needlessly been made to suffer intense agony before the revised results were published.
There is a world of difference between GPA 5 and the grade below it. A student achieving GPA 5 is eligible for applying to the best of public universities and medical colleges in Bangladesh. In case of lower grades, candidates for higher education have to be contended with the lower than the elite category or private universities or medical colleges. When examinees are deprived of proper evaluation of their answer scripts, they are also deprived of the opportunity to compete for admission to higher seats of learning.
When voices were raised against the low pass rate, the education minister claimed that evaluation of answer scripts, unlike the generous awarding of marks in the past, this time was most authentic. But that authenticity has become more than questionable. Yet the ministry has done one good job by allowing students to apply for a re-scrutiny of answer scripts. Earlier, such a re-evaluation was not allowed, only the summation of marks obtained for each of the questions was rechecked. This time the answer scripts were re-evaluated to check if the answers were undervalued.
All this points to the quality of examiners involved. Clearly not all of them are qualified enough or are not serious about doing their job meticulously. Then, the education ministry also likes to take credit for publication of results within the shortest possible time. Examiners are not given enough time to do their job well.
If all such issues combine together to make the matter somewhat chaotic, the inherent flaws of the education system are not paid enough attention. A lack of qualified teachers and commercialisation of education have turned students into examinees but not learners. Except a rare few, teachers qualified enough are compelled to give more time to coaching centres preparing students as examinees rather than learners. This is a common picture in Dhaka city and other urban centres. But educational institutes in rural areas hardly have qualified teachers and those are incapable of even turning students into examinees. The wide gap between urban and rural teachers explains the poorer results of village schools.
This system should be dismantled in favour of knowledge-based comprehensive education. Teaching profession should be resurrected from this fossilised pattern with recruitment of teachers boasting brilliant academic achievements. That will be possible if the nation is ready to recognise due importance of teaching career and pay commensurate financial rewards.
