PUNE: Opinions are scattered among teachers on the best way to conduct the board examination this year. The choices are the conventional way, a completely MCQ based test, and a 50-50 method wherein 50% would be a written examination while the remaining would be an internal assessment.
Most teachers said they did not want the state to further reduce the syllabus from the current 25% cut. The survey was conducted last week in an online manner by Mumbai based Jaywant Kulkarni.
He said as many as 543 teachers, principals and non-teaching staff participated in the survey, adding that he was encouraged because the state’s decisions never sought teachers’ opinions “Teachers and students are the biggest stakeholders who understand the ground situation. It is important that their opinion is sought on such matters. This was my way of helping the authorities arrive at a decision,” Kulkarni said.
N A Kulkarni, principal of Fergusson Junior College, said, this is such a hard year that nobody knows what to do and what are the right choices.
“An offline examination means there would be too much contact among the students, student-teacher and among teachers. Social distancing may not be possible for such a large number of people. Even after the examination, for assessment, revaluation, photocopying, a large number of people need to come in contact. All this can be reduced by an online mode of examination,” he said.
Kulkarni added that an MCQ-based online test would be ideal. “For every other examination post standard XII, students appear for MCQ-based tests and this includes national tests like IIT JEE, NEET and others. Hence, there is no harm in taking such an exam for standard XII board exam too, at least for this year. This means there will be absolutely no crowding during the assessment and minimum contact between people as all the assessment and other processes would be online,” he said.
Manisha Ashtaputre, a senior teacher at SNDT junior college, said there is a need to change the pattern of exams for this year but have an inclusive exam system. “Many students do not have a smartphone and are unable to attend the lectures. There are many who cannot cope and hence the board needs to take an inclusive decision,” said Ashtaputre.