While they accepted that Class 12 marks have to calculated and thus printing marksheets would take longer, academicians said there was no such reason to delay marksheet in the case of Class 10. “Printing of Class 10 marksheets should have been done much earlier, as they would only say ‘pass’ against all subjects,” pointed out PK Ilamaran, president, Tamil Nadu Teachers’ Association.

Delay in distributing it would also make them lose seniority while registering certificates in employment exchange, he added.

A senior official from School Education Department claimed that printing of classes 10 and 12 marksheets has already started, and that the students would receive them very soon.

More than nine lakh students from Class 10 and about 8 lakh from Class 12 are waiting for marksheets. Each Class 10 student has paid Rs 10 and Class 12 student Rs 20 for the document.

S Premkumar, a Class 10 student, noted how marksheet is required for obtaining admission to even private training vocational institutes. “Though the institute has admitted me provisionally, I need to produce my original Class 10 marksheet at the earliest,” he added.

S Arumainathan, president, Tamil Nadu Parents Teachers Welfare Association, pointed out how there was no official statement from the government on when the distribution would begin. “Further delay would create more stress among students and parents,” he added.