If you are on the verge of failing in your board exams, take a chill pill and submit an application for re-evaluation because there are chances you might top the subject after re-evaluation.
That is exactly what happened across various states during board exam re-checking after which the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has issued notices of suspension to several schools. The board has asked for action against at least 130 guilty teachers for calculating errors and major mistakes in awarding marks to Class X and XII students during exam re-evaluation.
The highest number of erring teachers are from Patna where 45 of them have been held responsible for “the gross carelessness committed by them resulting in severe hardships for the candidates and tarnishing the board’s reputation”, a senior board official said, according to PTI.
Source: The Indian Express (File Photo)
14 erring teachers are from Chennai, seven from Bhubaneswar and six from Delhi.
Students, on the other hand, have lauded the action taken against the erring teachers. “The move by the board is praiseworthy as our future depends on these marks. I had a discrepancy in my marks too. I had scored 76 in Science but was awarded a higher grade of A2. It shows the confusion among teachers,” Samarth Shakya, a student of Tagore International School of Delhi, who recently took his Class X boards, told InUth.
Harshit Dass, another Class X student of the same school, echoed similar thoughts. “The gross error in awarding marks shows the lack of credibility on the part of teachers who manipulate the numbers and jeopardise the future of students,” Dass told InUth.
“The re-evaluation saw some students in the Delhi region getting 50-55 marks more than what they had initially got when the results were declared in May this year. In one case, a student, who had initially failed in Urdu, passed after re-evaluation. A detailed report is being prepared in the matter,” a CBSE official said, speaking to PTI.
Students feel these glaring discrepancies prove that the authorities aren’t very concerned when it comes to awarding marks. “It’s very frustrating to see these unethical activities being undertaken by teachers make a joke out of the marks obtained by students,” Anshuman Kathuria, a class XII student from Delhi, told InUth. He also said that the suspension notice issued by CBSE is justified.
Representational Image | Source: The Indian Express
Teachers say work pressure and tight deadlines might increase the possibility of mistakes while dealing with re-evaluation. Maya Ray, a Class XII political science teacher said that the miscalculation of marks shows the negligence in work and lack of dedication on the teachers’ part.
“But as part of the teacher’s fraternity, I think the suspension is a little harsh saying the board should simply not let the teachers sit for board checking. I did not have any cases of any major calculation errors from my class, but the CBSE should be careful to not let the teachers check mark sheets again instead of suspending them,” she said.
A principal of a government school in Delhi, who wished to remain anonymous, told InUth, “Sometimes, the teachers are under a lot of pressure from the school and there can be casual mistakes and human error due to time limits which should not lead to their abrupt suspension.”
The process of re-evaluation was initiated by the CBSE for Class X and XII board examinations on June 1 for candidates who were unsatisfied with their awarded marks.
(Written by Arnabjit Sur)
