Itahari, March 31:

It has been revealed that teachers have been taking bribes from the guardians of SLC examinees in Inaruwa, promising them that they will ensure that their kids passed the Iron Gate for higher education.

The teachers at exam centres at Sharada Higher Secondary School, Rajaji Ramji High School, Bal Mandir Lower Secondary School, Bhagwati High School, Saraswoti High School, Krishna High School and Harinagara Higher Secondary School have been taking bribes from the guardians and aiding the examinees to cheat.

According to sources, the teachers have been taking as much as Rs 10,000 from the guardians of students by promising distinction marks for the students, Rs 8,000 for first division and Rs 3,000 to 5,000 for second or third division.

As soon as the exam begins, the teachers are seen heading to the exam centres with bundles of cheating materials in their hands.

Question papers in the exam centres come out of the centres 10 minutes after the exam begins. A large crowd can be seen photocopying the question papers and their solutions nearby the exam centres.

The photocopies of the solutions are then supplied into the classrooms.

Inaruwa-based Purbanchal Offset Press is an example. It has been raking in moolahs by selling the photocopies of questions and their solutions prepared by the teachers.

According to the sources, private schools have been mobilising subject teachers to help their students cheat in the exam so that the school can get better results. Almost all the schools in Inaruwa and adjoining areas have been running campaigns for cheating. Interestingly, security personnel turn a blind eye to the irregularity going on in front of their eyes.

Irregularities in the examination have been reported in exam centres in Duhabi as well. For example, guardians have fixed bamboo ladders outside the windows of the classrooms at Mount Boarding School to pass the cheating materials to the students.

Photocopy centres in Duhabi are also earning handsome amount of money by selling the photocopies of solutions to the questions.

In a few schools in Itahari, even the invigilators have been helping the students to cheat.