THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A section of higher secondary teachers, who had boycotted the Plus-Two examination valuation owing to a “rigid” answer scheme provided for the chemistry examination, will resume valuation duty on Wednesday. This, after the higher secondary examination board brought out a new answer scheme for the chemistry paper rectifying the anomalies pointed out by teachers.
The higher secondary examination board constituted a panel of experts who met on Tuesday to bring out the new answer scheme which was later published in the official portal. According to Vivekanandan S S, secretary of higher secondary examination board, the valuation of chemistry answer scripts will be carried out only on the basis of the latest answer scheme. The forenoon session on Wednesday will be set apart to familiarise the teachers with the new scheme.
According to the official, a decision on revaluation of the answer scripts that have already been evaluated will be taken later. The valuation of the chemistry paper, that began on April 28, had come to a halt after teachers came out in protest against the examination board’s decision to “thrust on them” a rigid answer scheme prepared by the question setter, disregarding the suggestions given by a panel of senior teachers chosen for the purpose.
The protesting teachers had pointed out that choosing the “rigid” answer scheme would lead to the students losing around 18 marks. General Education Minister V Sivankutty had on Monday lashed out at the teachers for keeping away from the valuation camps.
“We will resume the valuation duty in the wake of the publication of the new answer scheme in which the anomalies have been rectified,” confirmed Anil M George of Higher Secondary School Teachers; Association. He said the situation of teachers boycotting valuation camps would not have arisen had the higher secondary examination board shed its rigid attitude.
The examination board’s decision to take action against the teachers who had openly pointed out the anomalies in the previous answer scheme, has not gone down well with them. “As many as eight important suggestions given by teachers have been accepted. This shows the anomalies were genuine. The action proposed against teachers should be withdrawn,” said S Manoj of Aided Higher Secondary Teachers Association.