Despite strict security measures—such as preparing two sets of question papers and printing them at a confidential press outside the state—the leak of questions highlights deeper issues within the education system.
Published Dec 30, 2024 | 1:51 PM ⚊ Updated Jan 04, 2025 | 9:40 AM
Image for representational purposes only. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
The recent leak of SSLC English, and Plus One Mathematics question papers has exposed serious lapses, raising troubling questions about accountability and systemic vulnerabilities in Kerala’s educational system.
The Kerala Education Minister’s office has confirmed that the Director of General Education (DGE) will lodge a formal complaint with the police and cyber cell to investigate the incident involving the leaked papers surfacing on YouTube.
Despite strict security measures—such as preparing two sets of question papers and printing them at a confidential press outside the state—this breach highlights deeper issues within the system.
South First finds out why Kerala’s students increasingly depend on private tuition centers and online platforms. Is the General Education Department indirectly promoting these private services? What happened to school teachers?
Soorya Vijayakumar, founder of Right Board E-Learn, has been actively involved in providing both online and offline private tuition for the past three years. Speaking to South First, she voiced her concerns.
Vijayakumar, once an IAS aspirant who now teaches Social Studies, highlighted how experience helps identify important portions of the syllabus and the likely questions in the examination. She emphasised the importance of ethics in education.
“Take Byju’s, for example—they invested heavily in marketing but ultimately faced setbacks. The focus shifted from learning to business,” she pointed out.
Commenting on the recent developments, she noted how Physics Wallah and Xylem Learning have joined forces to strengthen their foothold in South India. “Big companies invest huge sums and expect quick returns, which often leads to unethical practices,” she said.
Unlike popular platforms, Vijayakumar’s Right Board E-Learn does not collect advance fees. “We don’t ask for upfront payments like most learning apps. They often lure parents with demo classes conducted by expert teachers, only to switch instructors later. Parents end up spending around ₹30,000, while private teachers earn less than ₹13,000 per month and rely on these platforms for additional income,” she added.
10th Second Terminal Evaluation Question Paper 2024- 2025
KSU Kozhikode district president VT Sooraj is allegedly facing daily threats after speaking out against private tuition mafias.
In a conversation with South First, he revealed that the recent attention on question paper leaks is long overdue, as the issue has been ongoing since the 2023 Christmas exams.
KSU first uncovered the leaks when papers from private agencies, Xylem and MS Solutions, were distributed via YouTube classes. Complaints were lodged with the Kozhikode Deputy Director of Education (DDE) and the Education Department.
The issue resurfaced during the 2024 Onam exams, with both agencies involved again. While the DDE acknowledged the lapses, the action was delayed until higher authorities got involved.
The problem persisted, and during the December 2024 Christmas exams, the Crime Branch traced the leak to MS Solutions, leading to a fraud case under seven sections. Notices are expected for MS Solutions CEO Shuhaib and other staff, though questioning has yet to begin.
The leaked list of questions that were marked as predicted
Questions that were marked as predicted and leaked through the MS Solutions YouTube channel during the marathon class for students, according to Sooraj, even included the same question numbers.
Sooraj also highlighted that Xylem was responsible for leaking the chemistry exam paper.
According to Sooraj, Xylem and Shuhaib have a connection. Xylem operates numerous hostels, where food poisoning incidents occur frequently, but these cases have not made it to the news.
“Shuhaib made a video exposing this issue, after which Xylem allegedly bought him off, paying him nearly ₹80,000 per month to refrain from publishing any negative reports about them on his YouTube channel,” he claimed.
Abdul Hakeem AK, who recently participated in an award ceremony held by Xylem for over 10,000 students, plays a significant role in this situation. Hakeem is the District Project Coordinator for the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, with the BRC (Block Resource Center) under his charge.
Hakeem Vennakkad, the CPI(M) branch secretary and a teacher at Chakkalackal School, openly suggested that there is a conspiracy behind the delay in action, questioning the delay on the part of authorities to respond.
Promotions of private tuition platforms often begin within schools, but they also subtly extend into official government documents.
Certificate
A certificate issued by the Kozhikode District Panchayat and Corporation prominently displays Xylem’s tagline, “Xylem is South India’s No. 1 Education Platform,” along with the signature of Dr. Beena Philip, the Kozhikode Corporation Mayor, and other officials.
This underscores the growing influence of Xylem within government institutions, as noted by Sooraj.
Certificate
When contacted, Sheril (name changed), a private school teacher in Kochi and a star on online learning platforms, said, “I completed my M.Ed with the help of education loans, and before even starting my job, I was burdened with huge debt. Now, working at a reputed private school, I earn only ₹17,000 per month.”
“To repay my loans, I have to work extra. The pay from online teaching is decent and flexible. Also. after Covid-19, students prefer online learning over classrooms, seeking a ‘vibe’ through vibrant dialogues, interesting games, and giveaways,” she said.
“If I’m tired in class or miss a class, I tell the students to watch the video on YouTube whenever they have free time. The videos are mostly free to access after a few days of being published, and I don’t ask them to subscribe or pay for it,” she added.
Sheril then asked a pertinent question: “Who can we blame? The system that fails to provide jobs with decent pay?”
Fathima, a UP school teacher at Al-Farookhia Higher Secondary School in Cheranalloor, Kochi, shared her insights on the various projects and duties that teachers handle.
“I perform my duties and responsibilities with passion, which makes the process enjoyable for me. However, not everyone feels the same, as the tasks can become repetitive and time-sensitive. For example, the teacher in charge of the school’s Mid-Day Meal (MDM) program is required to enter daily attendance, student count, and meal figures into the IMMS (Integrated Mid-Day Meal Scheme) mobile app before 2 pm. Authorities at the block, district, and state levels access a web portal to monitor this data, which helps them determine how much food grain to allocate to each school.”
Nithya, a high school teacher at Devaswom Board Higher Secondary School, Thiruvalla, told South First that teachers now have to take on numerous non-teaching responsibilities, many of which are clerical tasks. Although schools have one or two clerks, the workload is overwhelming.
Teachers, being the primary point of contact with students, are responsible for assessing and recording data, such as updating the UDISE Student Module, which tracks enrollment, attendance, and academic achievements. If a student transfers, their details must be readily accessible.
Teachers also update Sampoorna, a school management software for student and school activities. Additionally, teachers handle tasks like preparing timetables, generating reports for students, parents, and staff, managing scholarship lists, and SSLC examination databases, and promoting students.
They oversee clubs, SPIC, and NSS, and ensure student participation in festivals and events, all while covering academic portions on time.
Rajesh Puthumana, a high school teacher at Amrita High School in Moolavattam, Kottayam, raised a significant concern that predates the rise of online learning platforms.
“This year, the 9th-grade textbooks were updated. As teachers, we typically see these updates in the last week of May, toward the end of summer vacation. However, before June, student guides are already publishing everything in advance. How can they provide inputs on textbooks that haven’t even been seen by teachers yet? There’s something wrong here,” he told South First.
South First spoke to a few students(with permission from parents) from various schools about their views on the rise of online learning platforms.
“Teachers rush through lessons, leaving no time for doubt clarification. Without online platforms, we’d struggle,” Adithyan, a student, said.
Krishna, excited about the giveaways, shared, “Marathon revisions are helpful, live classes allow questions, and it’s safer than going to a tuition center. Plus, I won a tablet for top marks.”
Farhana, another student, supported online platforms to provide good results. “It’s convenient. I can attend classes anytime.” All students agreed that online learning offers flexibility and improved access.
KSU’s Sooraj pointed out that except for 2024, Kerala has faced a decline in its performance in competitive exams over recent years.
The state had performed better in the 2016-2017 academic year, with notable success in exams like NEET, but since then, its rankings have gradually fallen. This trend, he warned, could jeopardise the state’s educational legacy.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
