Has the high pass percentage being registered in the SSLC examinations in the State for the last few years in a row also got to do with the evaluation methods existing in the State schools? At least a section of teachers believe so.
According to the Association for State Employees and Teachers (ASET), the present system gives its stress on increasing the pass percentage rather than on improving the quality of students. The government should follow the evaluation method adopted in the higher secondary sector for the high school section as well to ensure quality of the passing students. At present, there are two types of assessments existing in the high school classes including in the SSLC – Continuous Evaluation (CE) and Term Evaluation (TE).
The CE, for which maximum mark is 10, is being done by the teachers while the TE is a paper-and-pencil evaluation for which the maximum mark is 40. There is no need for a separate minimum pass mark for these evaluations for high school students while it is required for the higher secondary section.
Continuous evaluation
“Most teachers give maximum mark to their students in the continuous evaluation (often 10 out of 10) making them require only five more marks in the TE for a pass. Only 15 out of 50 (30 per cent) is required for a pass. Even the weakest student can score at least five marks in TE, which makes him/her eligible for a pass, which ultimately affects the quality of the passed students,” says M.K. Aboobakker, State vice president of the association.
According to him, a more comprehensive and transparent method should be introduced for the CE. “Separate minimum marks for both CE and TE also should be introduced to ensure the quality of students,” he said.
The association, which demands several reforms, including cutting down on the administrative responsibilities of the headmasters which will make them “more focused on academic matters,” has also asked the authorities to take prompt and effective steps to strengthen public education system in the State.
