You have been recently posted as a District Education Officer in a district, which is notorious for mass copying. It again witnessed some disturbing incidents during the recent Board examination. In some of the examination centers located in your district, the parents virtually took over the centres to help their wards to copy during the exams. The parents justified their act by arguing that the concerned teachers did not take classes at all during the year. Upon enquiry, you found that invigilators turned a blind eye in this situation and school administrations were also involved in tampering with the CCTV footage of the incidents. You also found that teacher absenteeism has indeed been rampant. Further, concerns regarding this had been repeatedly raised by parents in the past, but no action was taken. (a) What course of action would you take in the immediate to short term to deal with the issue at hand? (b) Explaining the ramifications of such incidents for the society at large, highlight some long-term reforms that should be taken to prevent such incidents from re-occurring.

lder (central node)

• ME as DEO (upwards arrow)
• Teachers and administrators (leftwards arrow)
• Students (downwards arrow)
• Parents (rightwards arrow)
• Society (downwards-rightwards arrow)

Dilemmas here include:

(1) Do two wrong make right (2) Fair exam system vs leniency for children's future (3) Equality vs Equity

(a) Short term course of action

(1) Send information to the board to withhold results of that district pending investigation (2) Send out show-cause notices to administrator and teachers for collusion in crime and absenteeism.

(3) Order full-fledged enquiry headed by a retired magistrate to collect evidence and fix responsibility.

(4) Order forensic analysis of CCTV to find the culprit using finger-prints and DNA analysis.

(5) Promise leniency in punishment to teachers, parents and the students who agree to copying and are willing to testify about others.

(6) Once enquiry comes out with report, file a police complaint and submit evidence for law to take its course.

(7) Separate investigation on absent teachers.

(8) Suspension of teachers on whom investigation is ongoing.

(9) Exemplary punishment post departmental proceedings against culprits.

(b) Ramifications of actions

(1) Impressionable students are led to believe that unethical behavior is acceptable.

(2) Collapse of educational standard as there is no incentive to study.

(3) Teachers who should be role model turn out to be bad influence.

(4) Work culture of teachers and administrative staff will decline.

(5) Bonafide students feel cheated.

(6) Qualities of devotion to public service will evaporate in service.

(7) Students will not value integrity and probity.

Long-Term reforms

(1) Teacher absenteeism controlled via Biometric system.

(2) Teachers quality enhanced via quality improvement programs.

(3) Code of ethics and code of conduct for all involved in exam system.

(4) Standard operating procedure should be evolved to prevent such incidents.

(5) Exemplary punishment to those found violating the law.