Valuation of Plus Two answer scripts began in the State on Thursday with teachers boycotting Chemistry valuation camps alleging anomalies in the answer scheme made available to them.
Teachers in most districts stayed away from evaluating the Chemistry answer scripts alleging that the answer scheme was not the one prepared during the scheme finalisation held in Ernakulam.
Level of difficulty
The teachers claim that most students found the Chemistry question paper tough. Senior teachers from all 14 districts who were selected to prepare the answer scheme took the difficulty level of the question paper into consideration while readying the scheme. However, the answer scheme provided at the valuation camps on Thursday was not the one drawn up in Ernakulam.
A teacher said students would have been able to attempt the question paper if they had attended school regularly the past two years. However, schools reopened only in November last, and children should not be punished for not performing at pre-COVID-19 levels. Even bright students would find it hard to score well if the new answer scheme were to be employed.
Question anomaly
The teachers also alleged anomalies in the question paper. Question 13, a multiple choice question, did not provide the right answers, they said. The Aided Higher Secondary Teachers’ Association alleged that the earlier practice of inviting teachers to set question papers through a website had been discontinued this time. The teachers did not know who set the question paper.
The Higher Secondary School Teachers’ Association said such a situation could have been avoided if the teacher who had set the question paper attended the scheme finalisation in Ernakulam. Protesting teachers said they were ready to resume valuation duties if the answer scheme prepared at Ernakulam was made available. The Higher Secondary Joint Director (Examinations) could not be reached for a response.
