Invigilation: a chit, a scholarship and a colleague's advice
You are invigilating a Class 9 mid-term examination in a hall with 40 students and one other exit. Twenty minutes before the end, you see a folded piece of paper partly under the answer sheet of a boy who is repeating Class 9; his family has told the school that his scholarship depends on his marks. The school examination manual requires any unauthorised material to be seized and reported in writing to the examination committee. Your colleague, who is not in the hall, has previously said, 'Just take the chit and warn them-no need for paperwork.' The boy notices you, whispers 'please, sir,' and covers the paper with his hand. The rest of the hall is quiet. You have a spare invigilator available by phone but no written instructions about what to do with the seized material.
1. What do you do in the next two minutes?
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Act immediately, calmly and without a public scene. Walk to the desk, place your hand on the folded paper and remove it with the answer sheet undisturbed, saying quietly, 'I will take this; continue your paper.' Do not open or read it aloud, do not argue, and do not physically search the student. Note the time and seat number on the paper or an envelope. Give the boy a moment to compose himself and continue; if he is distressed, ask the spare invigilator to stand nearby.
After the answer sheets are collected, seal the material in an envelope with your signature, the time and the seat number, and hand it to the chief examiner or hall supervisor the same day with a factual written report: what you saw, where, when, what you said and who was present. Do not decide the penalty yourself; the examination committee must hear the student's written statement. No corporal punishment, no public shaming and no promise of silence. Inform the head of institution as per the school examination manual. The priority is a fair process for the whole hall and a record that can withstand scrutiny.
2. The student pleads that he will lose his scholarship. How does that affect your decision and your report?
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The scholarship plea deserves sympathy but cannot change the duty to report. If I privately let him off, I would be applying a different rule to a repeat candidate, which is unfair to the other 39 students and exposes the school and me to a charge of favouritism or concealment. It would also deny the student a proper chance to explain his side to the committee. So the report stands, but the way I write and speak matters: record facts, not judgments about his character; ensure his written statement is invited; and mention, if true, that he was cooperative and that this is his first reported incident-these are matters for the committee, not for me to decide alone.
I would not accept any request for money or a favour, and I would not promise a particular outcome. After the examination, I would ask the class teacher or counsellor to check on him, because fear of losing a scholarship is a welfare issue. The committee can consider proportionality; the invigilator's job is integrity and natural justice.
3. Your colleague says 'just remove the chit and warn him.' Why is that not acceptable, and what would you say to the colleague?
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A private warning would be an unauthorised settlement of an examination irregularity. It would treat similar cases differently depending on which teacher is on duty; leave no record, so the student could later deny it; expose the colleague and me to disciplinary action under the school's examination code; and deny the student the chance to respond formally. The manual requires seizure and a written report, not a warning in the corridor.
To the colleague I would say, 'I understand you want to protect him, but if I don't record it, we both lose protection and the committee can't decide fairly. I'll write only what I saw.' I would not argue in front of students. If the colleague insists or offers to dispose of the paper, I would inform the chief examiner immediately and keep a copy of my report. A warning can still be part of the outcome if the committee decides so; that is their discretion, not ours. The principle is consistent, documented and proportionate process-not harshness.