98,731 apply for re-scrutiny of SSC exam papers

Despite glorious results of Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examinations, a considerable number of students have challenged the published results and applied for reassessment of their examination papers.
According to official data, a total of 98,731 SSC and its equivalent examinees including those who secured the highest grade point average (GPA-5) submitted 167,162 applications to their respective boards to get their desired marks.
In addition, a group of influential guardians, including bureaucrats, politicians and media persons are also lobbying with high officials of the boards to get desired numbers for their candidates.
Sources at the Dhaka Education Board, working as an intermediary of nine other boards, said some 98,731 SSC and equivalent examinees including those who achieved GPA-5 submitted applications for re-evaluation of their examination papers as they are unhappy with their published results.
They said Dhaka Board received 51,039 applications, Chittagong Board 11,927 applications, Comilla Board 14,134 applications, Barisal Board 8,516 applications, Dinajpur Board 10,173 applications, Jessore Board 20,072 applications, Madrasah Board 17,838 applications, Rajshahi Board 14,780 applications, Sylhet Board 7,132 applications and Technical Education Board 11,551 applications.
Controller of the examinations of Dhaka Board SM Wahiduzzaman told the FE that they asked the students who weren't satisfied with their results to approach the board authorities in between May 18 and May 24, but unfortunately the number of such students was very big.
He said even those students who cleared the exams obtaining GPA-5 applied to the education boards as they believed they would get golden GPA-5.
"We've received a total of 51,039 applications from SSC examinees under Dhaka Education Board for re-evaluation", the controller said adding that now the guardians have started gathering at the board offices to get their desired marks.
He told the FE that re-evaluation results will be published by June 15.
Admitting the pressure from the influential groups of guardians, the exam controller said although the deadline to apply for re-scrutiny is over, some guardians are still crowding the board offices.   
On a visit to the Dhaka Board office Wednesday, the FE correspondent found a number of influential persons to be lobbying with the board officials to ensure their desired marks.
"Please, save my teenage daughter by providing at least a grade point to ensure overall GPA-5, who secured CGPA 4.81 at the secondary examination", a guardian who came from Narsingdi district was noticed to be telling the exam controller.
Like that guardian, a number of government bureaucrats also came to the office in presence of this correspondent to request the exam controller to get their desired marks through re-evaluation.
Apart from individual applications, a number of the reputed colleges submitted such applications. Of them, a representative of Rajuk Uttara Model College was seen requesting reassessment of examination papers of its 58 students.
However, the exam controller strongly ruled out any possibility of providing increased marks through re-evaluation of papers.
"We will consider just three things --- mismatch in numbering, erroneous filling-up of the OMR sheets and unmarked papers --- following the applications from the candidates", the controller said.
When asked about the punishment, the exam controller said usually the board calls the responsible examiners to report to them and warns them of tougher action in case of further mistakes.
When contacted to comment on the punishment, Madrasah Board exam controller Md Nazmul Huda said they won't supply the bills of the exam paper evaluation, and the responsible teachers won't get exam papers for the next two years.
This year, the results in SSC and equivalent examinations have crossed the previous records with 91.34 per cent pass rate. The number of highest grade point holders also went up by 51,050 as this year about 142,276 students achieved the uppermost marks.
About 1,426,923 students appeared in the country's secondary level public examinations. Of them, 1,303,331 came out successful. A total of 1,087,870 students appeared in exams under the eight general education boards. Of them, 1,008,174 came out successful with a combined pass rate of 92.67 per cent and about 122,313 students secured the highest marks while the number was 77,381 last year.