FREE TEXT BOOKS DELAYED: All books covered under the Free Text Book scheme will be distributed by the end of next month as schools are yet to receive the full set of books required. This is exactly a month’s delay from an earlier deadline of March 31st and it’s now almost nine weeks into the first school term. Education Minister Dr Mahendra Reddy has told Parliament yesterday 87 text books are needed for Years 1 to 13. So far, they have produced 49 text books – of which there are 199, 632 copies. The rest should be in the schools by the end of the first school term. “The remaining 38 text books, we have outsourced the printing to two other printers. So, a total of three printers are operating at the moment – the government one – Education Resource Centre, and two other private printers are there. By the end of next month, we will finish distribution of text books throughout Fiji.” MP Ratu Kiniviliame Kiliraki and Opposition Leader Ro Teimumu Kepa demanded explanations as to how students will cope if no text books are provided.The Minister says the delay in the distribution should not in any way affected studies. - Source, FBC News
MONKEY EXAMS: Indian families and friends help Bihari students CHEAT
Many students smuggled in textbooks and notes into the examination centres despite tight security - and parents and friends were photographed scaling the walls of test centres to pass on answers to students during the current secondary school examinations
Cheating in exams is fairly common in the Indian state of Bihar, but new images have emerged which show just how large-scale and blatant the practice is. Source: BBC News
The examinations, held by the Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB), began on Tuesday and are scheduled to go on until 24 March. Officials say more than 1.4 million students are taking the tests. Most of the incidents of cheating this year have been reported from Saharsa, Chhapra, Vaishali and Hajipur districts. Local newspapers have been full of photos of parents and relatives trying to help their children cheat even at considerable risk to their own lives, BBC Hindi's Manish Saandilya reports from the state capital, Patna.
Some photos even show policemen posted outside the centres accepting bribes to look the other way, our correspondent adds. Photojournalist Dipankar, who took the photos in Saharsa district, says when he went into the examination hall and began taking pictures, the students did not seem worried at all. Despite the many reports that have appeared in the local newspapers, the authorities seem uninterested in taking any action against the students, he says. Dipankar says during a raid at just one school on Wednesday, the authorities seized sheets containing answers which filled up nine sacks. Nearly 20 parents were detained briefly for trying to help their children cheat, but they were let go after a warning, he adds. Those caught cheating can be barred from taking an examination for up to three years, they can also be jailed or ordered to pay a fine, but punishment in such cases has rarely been reported in Bihar. Education officials say they are committed to holding free, fair and peaceful examinations, and that examination centres are being filmed and special "flying squads" of officials are making surprise visits to the centres. They say at least 400 students who have been caught cheating have been expelled. But they say the government alone cannot stop cheating without help from students and parents. "What can the government do to stop cheating if parents and relatives are not ready to cooperate? Should the government give orders to shoot them?" the Times of India quoted Bihar Education Minister PK Shahi as saying. Source: BBC News
Some photos even show policemen posted outside the centres accepting bribes to look the other way, our correspondent adds. Photojournalist Dipankar, who took the photos in Saharsa district, says when he went into the examination hall and began taking pictures, the students did not seem worried at all. Despite the many reports that have appeared in the local newspapers, the authorities seem uninterested in taking any action against the students, he says. Dipankar says during a raid at just one school on Wednesday, the authorities seized sheets containing answers which filled up nine sacks. Nearly 20 parents were detained briefly for trying to help their children cheat, but they were let go after a warning, he adds. Those caught cheating can be barred from taking an examination for up to three years, they can also be jailed or ordered to pay a fine, but punishment in such cases has rarely been reported in Bihar. Education officials say they are committed to holding free, fair and peaceful examinations, and that examination centres are being filmed and special "flying squads" of officials are making surprise visits to the centres. They say at least 400 students who have been caught cheating have been expelled. But they say the government alone cannot stop cheating without help from students and parents. "What can the government do to stop cheating if parents and relatives are not ready to cooperate? Should the government give orders to shoot them?" the Times of India quoted Bihar Education Minister PK Shahi as saying. Source: BBC News
 The Indian authorities seized sheets containing answers which filled up nine sacks. |  At some schools, like this one in Saran in Chhapra district, parents also clashed with the police. |
