Half a year lost in publication of results

The psychology department of Dhaka University has published the results of first-year final examinations (session 2015-16) after seven months, while most departments usually take three or four months to do so.

In addition, a huge mistake was found in the result sheet because of which 15 students failed to get the pass marks, thus unable to be promoted to the next session.

The last written exam was held on December 3 and the viva voce on December 19, 2016. Seven months later, the results were published on July 3. A total of 133 students, 19 of them irregular (those who retake exams), had sat for the final exams.

The irregular students said 15 of them failed because the tabulators forgot to add 35 marks of the in-course examination to the final exam marks.

In an academic year, students enrol in five courses, each carrying 100 marks -- 35 for in-course examination, 60 for the final examination and five for attendance.

Assistant Professor Maleka Parveen, one of the three-member committee, which oversaw the tabulation process of the final examinations, acknowledged the mistake in the results and said they would soon republish them after a meeting at the department. Asked about the delay, she replied that they prepared the results soon after getting final exam marks from the teachers. She, however, said head of the exam committee, Lecturer Mollika Roy, could say the reason behind the delay.

Mollika Roy, and another member, Assistant Professor Arifa Rahman, were not available to comment.

Contacted, head of the psychology department, Prof Nasreen Wadud, declined to comment on the matter.

Meanwhile, seeking anonymity, one of the 15 victim students expressed disappointment. "Our department is faced with session jams because of delays in publication of results," the student said. "Out teachers should be more careful about our future."

Apart from this case, there were past incidents of delay in publication of results and start of the classes at the department.

The honours final exams of session 2011-12 concluded in March 2016 and the results were published five months later in September 2016. But the master's classes did not begin until three months later, in January this year.

The students said they were almost one year behind their batch mates in other departments where the master's classes of the same session started in January 2016.

"We are falling behind in the competitive job market," a master's student told The Daily Star, while venting his frustration.