Jabbar for digitisation of exam system

FT ONLINE

Post, Telecom and IT Minister Mustafa Jabbar thinks it is impossible to stop the spree of question paper leaks without rebooting the entire system because just too many people are involved in the process of setting questions and reaching those to students.

He has suggested digitalising the process to put an end to the national embarrassment.

Speaking to reporters after a programme at the ministry on Wednesday, Jabbar also said it was ‘not right’ to blame the internet and the social media for the leaks.

“It’s very simple. Humans, not Facebook or the internet or WhatsApp, leak the question papers,” he said.

The minister, however, added the information technology can be blamed for spreading the leaked question papers.

The spread of leaked question papers has continued on the social media during the ongoing SSC examinations after last year’s PEC and JSC tests.

The government had decided to shut down Facebook and slow down internet speed for hours before the tests but later backtracked following criticism.

IT Minister Jabbar said, “It’s a big challenge for anyone to stop the leaks in the existing system with so many people involved at different stages of making the question papers and taking those to the students.”

“I believe it’s time to review the way the exams are held, question papers made and answers evauated. If we don’t do it now, the centuries-old process may get inactive in this digital era.

“And the digital technology does certainly have ways to provide full-proof security. We have these technologies, but it will be a challenge to use those with hundreds of thousands of candidates, institutions, and teachers,” he said.