Outsourcing Efficiency

 

The Sindh government’s decision to outsource matriculation and intermediate examination clearly shows that decision-makers are completely removed from reality and have no understanding of the problem. It is common knowledge that examination boards in Sindh are the epitome of graft and malpractice. Cheating and impersonation are socially accepted and widely held practices during the board examinations in Sindh. The government in Sindh claims to curb these practices by outsourcing board examinations. 

According to newspaper reports, the government may assign this task to institutions such as IBA Karachi, IBA Sakhar University, Aga Khan University, Red Marker, or any other organization. It is alleged that Red Marker is owned by an influential person close to the Sindh government and this entire exercise is less about curbing academic cheating and more about financial cheating. The government claims that the outsourcing process will be done through open bidding and relevant boards will bear all the expenses. 

Public sector education in Sindh is beset with problems. The intent to curb cheating is indeed noble but outsourcing board examination is a hasty and flawed decision. I am sharing the following observations and concerns for raising awareness and promoting debate on this important issue.

First, we need to understand that examinations do not take place in isolation; it is directly linked with teaching practices. If the government is serious about curbing cheating and improving the quality of education, the first step should be improving the quality of teaching and providing necessary facilities in public sector schools and colleges. It is equally important to understand the causes of cheating and academic malpractices in which all stakeholders students, teachers, parents, and administration are involved. 

The quality of teaching can never be improved unless government inducts talented young teachers on merit. The recent appointments of JST and PST are generally appreciated but it is not without controversy. The young teachers, inducted through IBA Sakhar University in 2018, are made to go through unnecessary ordeal and humiliation. The consistent induction of young teachers, along with proper training, will address the root cause of problems like cheating for a lasting solution.

Boards of Intermediate and Secondary Education in Sindh have hundreds of employees and a mammoth budget to manage and conduct secondary and intermediate examinations in Sindh. Hiring a third party for conducting these exams in Sindh, which is an admission of inefficiency, will squander precious public money on a temporary stunt without lasting solutions. For a meaningful and sustained change, the government must improve the quality and conditions of public sector schools and colleges. The administrative system and professional efficiency of Education Examinations Boards must be streamlined through training and accountability.

If organizations like Red Marker are to be hired for conducting secondary and intermediate exams in Sindh, this will only prove that decision-makers are completely clueless about the nature of the problem. It is also rumoured that Red Marker will conduct computer-based online exams to curb the menace of cheating. Considering the number of students appearing in matriculation and intermediate examination, their socio-economic background, and their computer skills, it is highly improbable that any private organization can examine this magnitude without understating the nature and context of the problem. 

It does not take a seer to predict that the performance of any organization depends on the ability, commitment, and vision of its leader/administrative head. The solution does not lie in outsourcing but in using existing sources. The way government appoints Chairmen of educational boards, the level of money, and the interference involved, make this exercise questionable for the government is looking for the remedy outside whereas it lies within. 

 

Unless government sets its priorities right, these short-term unrealistic initiates will not bring about any meaningful and lasting improvement in poor and pathetic public sector education in Sindh.   

Tariq Umrani