SSC Exams Tomorrow
Milon plans chopper vigilance
Staff Correspondent
As part of stepped up vigilance to prevent any type of unfair means in Secondary School Certificate (SSC) Examinations that begin tomorrow, State Minister for Education ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon will rush to any examination centres anytime in a chartered helicopter. Friends and well wishers of the state minister will bear the cost of his trips in the absence of a government provision for it, Education Minister Osman Farruk told a press conference yesterday. The use of helicopter by the state minister for such vigilance last year without approval by the education ministry had given rise to a controversy. "Use of helicopter to rush to examination centres works as a threat to those likely to resort to unfair means," the state minister said. A total of 9,55,365 examinees will appear at the SSC, Dakhil and SSC Vocational examinations from tomorrow at 1,778 examination centres under nine education boards in the country. Of the SSC examinees, 233,129 are from Science group, 312,843 from Humanities and 213,435 from Business Studies, according to statistics of Education Board Computer Centre. A total of 159,901 examinees will sit for Dakhil examinations under Madrasah Education Board and 36,057 for SSC Vocational examinations under Technical Education Board. The education ministry has taken all measurers to ensure holding of the examinations in a congenial atmosphere, Osman Farruk said. "We will be holding this year's examinations in a relaxed mood as there is no vulnerable (prone to cheating) centre in the country." In reply to a question on deployment of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) during the examinations, the education minister said they don't think it would be necessary. "It (Rab) now appears to have become a treatment for all diseases," he said in a lighter vein. Saheda Obayed, chairman of Dhaka education board, said all precautions have been taken to prevent tampering with examination papers, including OMR (optical mark reader). "It is not possible to tamper with OMR papers," she added. Meanwhile, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) yesterday banned movement of four persons together within 200 yards of any examination centres from tomorrow until end of the examinations. Education Secretary Faruque Ahmad Siddiqui, Director General of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Dilara Haifz and chairmen of different education boards were present at the press conference.
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