Teachers’ absence has become a thorn in the side of the Directorate of Higher Secondary Education as evaluation of higher secondary examination papers got under way in the State on Monday.
As many as 25,000 teachers are taking part in the evaluation, being held in 66 camps. K. Mohana Kumar, Joint Director, Examination, DHSE, said 5 to 7 per cent absenteeism had been reported from some camps. While the figure was nominal for valuation in some subjects, in the case of English, Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics, 7 per cent absenteeism had come to notice.
It was a serious issue, and unless there was a reasonable explanation or prior concurrence, teachers’ absence could not be ignored, Mr. Mohana Kumar said.
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He said camp officers had been asked to contact the absent teachers on telephone, but if that did not prove successful, show-cause notices would be issued. Regional-level squads monitored the functioning of the camps, and Regional Deputy Directors have been asked to send report, he added.
On the first day of the camp, the morning hours were taken up in script entry and other procedures such as evaluation scheme discussion, guiding teachers unfamiliar with the process, and so on, a teacher at an exam camp said.
For evaluation of each subject’s answer scripts, the teachers are divided into batches. In each batch, there is one chief examiner and five assistant examiners. The teachers have to evaluate 13 papers each in the morning and afternoon sessions. At the Government Girls Vocational and Higher Secondary School, Manacaud, the number of batches for a couple of subjects had come down by around a handful owing to teachers’ absence. However, the figure could improve in the days to come, teachers said.
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At SMV Model Government Boys Higher Secondary School, the figures were more encouraging. Only around 2 per cent of the teachers had reported absent. However, this could go up with more teachers becoming absent, a teacher said. Besides worries over fellow examiners’ absence, the teachers were also worried about the heat.
A teacher at the camp at the Manacaud school said facilities there were adequate. “There are enough toilets here, and they have pipes. There is a decent canteen if one wants tea or something to eat. However, the heat is a problem. There are only one or two fans in some halls. Those sitting under it are comfortable but some of the others have moved out to the corridors in the hope of catching a light breeze.”
At SMV school, a teacher said many of them had not been provided chairs even and were sitting on students’ benches to do the evaluation.
The valuation of papers began only in the afternoon session. The camps will go on for the next two weeks. The valuation of Plus One papers will extend further.