FOR students who put in countless hours of hard work for their secondary school exams mainly to secure admission to a good university on the basis of their grades paper leaks have a negative effect on morale. Leaked questions or papers also raise concerns about the SOPs being followed at the respective education boards to prevent unfair means. In this regard, reports emerged of certain papers being leaked earlier this year during the Cambridge board exams. The matter was also highlighted at the National Assembly`s Standing Committee on Education. On Thursday, after completing an investigation into the claims, Cambridge International Education, Pakistan said that while most reports of paper leaks `turned out to be false`, the probe confirmed that certain questions in the A and AS-Level exams had indeed been leaked.

The board also said that the source of the leak had been traced, and that action was being taken against those responsible. Of course, reports of leaks and the use of unfair means in most of our public-sector education boards are rampant, which is why parents who can afford it opt to have their wards take assessments overseen by expensive foreign boards.

It is hoped that Cambridge takes the necessary measures to ensure that such unscrupulous ways are curbed. Parents opt for foreign boards because they perceive them to be of better quality and more transparent. If such assessments are compromised because of unfair means, students may have to consider other options. There is also a dire need for the provinces to improve the quality and pedagogy of local boards, particularly for the examination process. Most Pakistani students take exams administered by local boards, and they deserve a better system. The culture of cheating must be weeded out, while rote memorisation should be replaced with conceptual learning.

Relatively better local examples exist, such as the Federal Board and AKUEB; their methods can be studied and adopted.