23 students caught cheating in SSC exams

The vigilance teams of the Board of Secondary Education Karachi (BSEK) on Thursday caught 23 students using unfair means to solve their papers at different examination centres in the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) Annual Examinations 2021.

On the first day of the SSC Part-I exams, the question paper of mathematics was allegedly leaked on social media and later widely circulated on WhatsApp groups. According to the available information, science group students were taking their maths paper in the morning shift. But soon after the exam started, the question paper was circulated on social media. Board officials, however, are denying all such reports.

In the second shift, the general group’s regular and private students took their civics, physiology & hygiene, history, food & nutrition and computer studies papers. However, no reports of leaked questions emerged.

A press release issued by the board reads that all the papers began and ended on time. BSEK Chairman Prof Syed Sharaf Ali Shah visited various exam centres and found everything to be according to plan. He stressed on the eradication of the cheating culture in exams.

He also inspected the CCTV camera monitoring room of the exam centres and appreciated the arrangements made there. He instructed the superintendents, students and staff members to comply with the Covid-19 standard operating procedures, especially the wearing of masks.

The board confirmed that during their surprise visits to different exam centres, the vigilance teams found 23 students to be using unfair means to solve their papers. Board officials have made cases against them. Their results will be withheld until the BSEK decides their cases.

On Monday, when the SSC Part-II exams began, the first question paper of physics had also been leaked on WhatsApp groups and later widely spread on other social media platforms, while centre control officers and invigilators failed to ensure timely delivery of question papers to several centres. Such poor arrangements caused the exam to start at least two hours late at some centres.