In his mid 30s and with over a decade of service in the Department of Pre University Education (DPUE), this soft spoken official could be treated as an “experienced hand”. But on Monday, when he reported to the exam section, he was as good as a novice. He did not know what to do nor did anybody instruct him, and finally he was clueless when asked to take the stationery to a valuation camp.
His predicament on Monday sums up the mood of 26 officers now deputed to the exam section of the DPUE, ahead of the crucial chemistry re-examination on April 12, after the whole exam section was kept under suspension.
For, this set of officers have very little or no experience in conducting exams. While they are fretting over the new responsibility, the crash training that they are receiving has not given them enough confidence.
“I do not know the examination process and am yet to be told about my job profile. So far, I have not received training,” said the officer, who was anxious about committing mistakes. Without basic knowledge of coding and decoding of answer scripts, he left the department premises to the valuation centre in the city.
With nearly 1.74 lakh students and their parents as well as the government hoping for successful completion of the April 12 exam, these officers are under tremendous pressure.
Most officers deputed to the exam section told The Hindu that they are “nervous” about carrying out the examination for the third time. Another official, who seemed visibility stressed out and refused to speak initially, said, “I have even been dreaming of question paper leaks. I am counting days and hope to return to my office soon,” he said.
Senior officials in the DPUE, however, said the new staff would be trained phase-wise and allotted responsibility from time to time to help officers cope up with their new assignment. Three officials from the Karnataka Secondary Education and Examination Board, who are well-versed with conducting SSLC examinations, have also been deployed for the purpose.
