PEC question gaffe: Traceless education official suspended

The government has suspended an education official in the aftermath of the mistake-riddled question paper for PEC exams, but no official by that name apparently exists.

Senior CorrespondentShahidul Islam, bdnews24.com
Published : 23 Nov 2017, 07:24 PM
Updated : 23 Nov 2017, 07:24 PM

The Directorate of Primary Education or DPE said on Thursday it suspended an assistant education officer posted in Gaibandha over the gaffe in English version question paper for the Bangladesh and Global Studies test for the Sylhet board.

"We have suspended assistant education officer in Gaibandha's Sadullapur Upazila Abdul Mannan over the mistakes in the question paper," DPE Director General Md Abu Hena Mostofa Kamal told bdnews24.com on Thursday.

The primary and mass education ministry order says Mannan's suspension was effective from Nov 23.

However, the education officer in Gaibandha's Sadullapur says no official by that name exists.

An official of the Primary and Mass Education Ministry told bdnews24.com that the National Academy for Primary Education or NAPE is responsible for the question papers for Primary Education Completion or PEC exams.

"NAPE informed the ministry that Assistant Education Officer Abdul Mannan was in charge of translating the question paper," the official said on condition of anonymity.

"Abdul Mannan has been suspended upon NAPE's information."

Sadullapur Education Officer Noor Mohammad said that there was no officer by that name in the Upazila.

"No assistant education officer by that name was posted here even in the last few years," he told bdnews24.com.

The primary and mass education secretary could not be reached for comment.

DPE chief Kamal also did not answer his phone, when it was found that no official by the name of Abdul Mannan exists.

The NAPE director general was also unavailable on the phone.

An official of NAPE, who asked not to be named, told bdnews24.com, "The primary and mass education minister has come to NAPE all on a sudden over the question paper mistake. The DG (director general) is busy with him."

Mistakes in Tuesday’s Sylhet board exams for Bangladesh and Global Studies have sparked a firestorm on the social media.

The paper’s multiple choice questions or MCQ section had over 50 grammatical mistakes in 40 out of total 50 questions, making it impossible or hard to understand what the examiners asked.

Some examples of the sentences with mistakes are:

– ‘What would happen if no the Mujibnagar govt. was formed?’

- ‘Why Bangladesh to import a lot of vegetable oil?’

- ‘Why was built 177 secret room at Sompur Bihar in Paharpur?’

- ‘What is happened in the people of this country as a result of ‘divide and rule’ policy of British?

- ‘Why did the intellectuals kill?’