Hindraf today questioned whether there is a racial witch-hunt in the arrest of 10 teachers from Tamil schools with regard to the leaked Primary School Achievement Test (UPSR) examination papers.
Its chairperson P Waythamoorthy said the leaked papers involved national schools, not Tamil schools.
“Hindraf is wondering if the Education Ministry and the police are pinning the blame elsewhere with the arrest of such large number of innocent Tamil school teachers,’ Waythamoorthy said in a statement today.
As of Wednesday, police have detained 12 individuals - 10 teachers, an insurance agent and an engineer - to facilitate investigations into the leaks in the examination papers.
Meanwhile, the former deputy minister was also “appalled” with the “lack of respect” given to the teachers.
“They were forced to wear the lock-up uniform and dragged to court to be remanded.
“This demeaning treatment should not have been given to those in a noble profession,” he said.
Investigate the real culprits
Waythamoorthy urged the Education Ministry to investigate the “real culprits” who were in charge of the Examinations Syndicate and responsible for the secrecy of the examination papers.
“The fact that no arrests were made of high-ranking Education Ministry officers creates reasonable suspicion and gives the impression that there could be a hidden agenda to conceal the truth,” he said.
Following the leaks, English papers 014/1 and 014/2 were cancelled after pupils had sat for the papers last Thursday, while the examinations for the Science 018, 028 and 038 papers were postponed before the pupils could sit for them on the same day last week.
The Examinations Syndicate has fixed Sept 30 as the new date for the pupils to sit for the examinations for the two subjects. -M'kini
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