Exam helpline gets nearly 17,000 calls

Subject teachers offer advice

With the Class XI board examinations starting on Wednesday, the 14417 helpline set up by the School Education Department now has subject teachers available between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. to answer queries students may have with regard to various subjects.

The helpline, which was launched on March 1, has already received close to 17,000 calls. While the Plus 2 exams began on March 1, the SSLC exams are scheduled to begin on March 16.

Around 8.61 lakh students from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry will make up the first batch of students writing the Class XI board examinations, which were introduced this year.

An official at the helpline said there were English teachers available on Monday. On Tuesday, Tamil teachers came in as class XI students will be writing the language exam on Wednesday.

“Some of the students had doubts about grammar, and they called in to speak to the subject teachers,” an official at the helpline said.

This apart, he said, parents have called in to talk about their children. Complaints received with regard to schools are being documented and the information passed on to the director of school education, he said. Calls have also been received with doubts about the upcoming NEET, he said.

“We are getting help from other departments to answer the various queries we receive. If we do not have the information required, we request the caller to give us some time and call back,” he said.

The helpline works round-the-clock, and on each shift, five persons are deployed to answer calls, along with two counsellors. The helpline provides exam and school-related information, career guidance/counselling and serves as a place to call in with complaints.

Cases of cheating

As many as 16 students were caught cheating in the English II paper during the Plus Two board exam on Tuesday.

Of these, six were private candidates. As many as six of the students caught were from Tiruchi.

The Directorate of Government examination said on Monday that eight students had been caught cheating during the English I paper.