In an attempt to prevent malpractices during Plus Two public examinations, the State Department of School Education is introducing answer script with its top sheet containing the photograph of the individual candidate.
This is one of the measures taken by the department to prevent impersonation, insertion of answer sheets prepared outside the hall and school managements allowing mass copying.
“The photograph of the individual student, his/her name and registration number will be printed on top of the sheet, which will be stitched by sewing machines with the answer scripts at the centres. This will ensure that every student will get a specific answer script. This will also prevent students from absent-mindedly entering a wrong registration number,” the Chief Educational Officer (Virudhunagar), V. Jayakumar, said. The top sheet, which comes in three parts, will have barcodes containing details of the individual student. “Once the answer sheet is handed over, part (A) containing the name, registration number, photograph and the signature of the student will be separated (to maintain anonymity of the answer script),” Mr. Jayakumar said.
The next two parts will be used to enter the details of the answer script, assistant examiner, scrutinising officer, chief examiner and marks verification officer to ensure accountability at every stage.
“Every individual involved in the evaluation process can be identified at any stage,” he said. Similarly, the main booklet of the script will contain 38 pages, instead of 16, to prevent additional sheets from being stealthily inserted. “These 38 pages will be good enough for a majority of students to answer for all the questions for 200 marks. However, those who want more additional sheet will get it,” he added.
At the examination centre, headmasters cannot be the chief superintendent of their schools. Similarly, the department has introduced a new system of delivering the question paper bundles to schools by four-wheelers under supervision. Question papers meant for each hall in the centre will be packed in sealed packets. “These packets should be opened only at the hall at 9.55 a.m. Thereby, leaking the questions to students before being distributed to the halls is prevented,” Mr. Jayakumar said.
Besides, every answer script will be sealed which has to be opened by the student.
Not only students, but also invigilators will be banned from using mobile phones and those handsets will be kept under lock and key at examination control room at the centres.
