Leaks, mistakes tarnish PEC exams

With the recent JSC examinations swirling in chaos and criticism for question leaks and mistakes, many students of grade V and their parents searching the social media for free leaked question papers.

Question papers of almost all subjects in the JSC exams, which ended last week, were leaked on Facebook pages and groups.

Now these pages and groups are uploading leaked question papers of PEC examinations.

A photo of the English version of Sylhet board question paper of Bangladesh and Introduction to World has gone viral on the social media for having more than 50 mistakes, marring the PEC tests further.

The mistakes have left many parents and teachers angry. Netizens have also reacted sharply.

Mistakes were also found in an English version question paper of a JSC test. The students said they did not raise the issue during the test because the authorities had not taken any measure when they had pointed similar mistakes earlier.

On Wednesday, the PEC test of Primary Science paper was held across the country from 11am to 1:30pm.

Many had commented seeking leaked questions of this paper on Tuesday afternoon.

The leaked questions were uploaded later in the night and in the next morning.

bdnews24.com found the leaked question paper of Dhaka board same as the original one used in the test.

One of these leaked question papers was uploaded by the ID ‘Md Rasel’ on the public group 'PSC JSC SSC HSC Question Suggestion. All Board Examine 2018+2019+20+21 BD’ at 9:55am.

The group has more than 54,000 members. The number had started to increase after the leak of the JSC question papers.

Now the number is shooting up again as PEC question papers are beginning to be leaked.

From another ID, ‘Tole Khan’, a leaked version of the Dhaka board question paper was uploaded on the group - ‘PSC JSC SSC HSC Exam Helping Center’ – at 10:01am. The question paper was exactly the same used in the exam that started after another hour. 

The leaked questions were circulated in these groups for free.

Netizens, however, continued to upload posts, calling for an end to question paper leaks.

They have also expressed anger over the mistakes in the English version of Tuesday’s Sylhet board Bangladesh and Introduction to World question paper.

The paper’s multiple choice questions or MCQ section had over 50 grammatical mistakes in 40 out of total 50 questions, making it impossible or hard to understand what the examiners asked.

Some examples of the sentences with mistakes are:

– ‘What would happen if no the Mujibnagar govt. was formed?’

- ‘Why Bangladesh to import a lot of vegetable oil?’

- ‘Why was built 177 secret room at Sompur Bihar in Paharpur?’

- ‘What is happened in the people of this country as a result of ‘divide and rule’ policy of British?

- ‘Why did the intellectuals kill?’

Dhaka University English Department Professor Shamsad Mortuza told bdnews24.com that he was ‘shocked’ after seeing the question paper on Facebook.

He questioned the competency of the people who set the questions. “I don’t think they have the eligibility to become teacher.”

Sylhet district’s Primary Education Officer Mohammad Amirul Islam blamed the National Primary Education Academy for the mistakes.

“We only supply the question papers after receiving those from the academy. It’s not our job to check mistakes in the question papers,” he said.

One Masud Chowdhury’s daughter was among the over 700 students took the English version exam in Sylhet.

Uploading a photo of the question paper on Facebook, Masud wrote: “My daughter just returned home after a PEC test. Please read the questions. No need to read the answers. It can’t be imagined that the education ministry officials cannot make questions for grade V. And our education minister is shouting that the standard of education has increased.”

“No grammar high GPA. Know grammar low GPA,” one MA Matin Nicvd commented on the post.

“RIP English,” was Galib Choudhury’s comment.

Another Facebook user, Shaikh Farhan Rafid Oyon, backed the mistakes, only to draw angry replies.

“The question is okay. You can’t answer it because you don’t know much about your daughter’s book. Only some printing mistake can’t be the sign of downgrading education system (sic). Other sets of questions are okay,” he commented.

Sarah Elma Hridi replied: “The question isn't okay...or are you trying to say this is one version of English not yet known to humankind?”

No official, including Primary and Mass Education Minister Mostafizur Rahman, Directorate of Primary Education Director General Abu Hena Mostafa Kamal, and Primary and Mass Education Secretary Mohammad Asif-Uz-Zaman, answered phone calls from bdnews24.com for comments on the leaks.