A new provision of ‘silent expulsion’ has been implemented to ensure discipline and transparency in this year’s Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination.
As the relevant examination policy clearly mentions the reinstatement of this system, new discussions have begun among students, parents, and education-related circles.
According to the policy, even if there is no evidence of outright cheating at the test center, suspicious behavior—such as talking to other test takers, frequently turning their heads, or trying to make eye contact—can be considered as misconduct by the invigilator, who may apply a ‘silent expel’. In this process, the test taker may not immediately learn of the expulsion; however, his or her answer sheet is considered invalid after the test.
The examination guidelines state that in such cases, the answer sheets of the candidates should be specially preserved. The answer sheets should be submitted in a separate packet along with the invigilator’s detailed report, leaving the specified part of the cover page intact. Instructions have also been given to mention ‘Reported’ in red ink on the packet, so that the matter is clearly identified and the subsequent verification process is easy.
In addition, it has been made mandatory to mention the reason in case of silent expulsion, which must be detailed in the observer’s report. Importantly, even after such expulsion, the examinee will be able to participate in subsequent examinations. However, the answer sheets of all his subsequent examinations will also be submitted in a separate process and the previous incident will be mentioned.
However, authorities claim that this system has been reinstated to send a strong message to prevent irregularities in the examination. They believe that such surveillance is necessary to ensure a cheating-free environment.