GUWAHATI: As the students continue to suffer due to COVID-19 pandemic, a teachers' organisation in Assam has suggested the state government to tweak the pattern of question papers of next year's Class XI and XII board exams.
The All Assam Higher Secondary Teachers and Employees' Association urged the government to provide android mobile phones with internet connection to poor students who are missing out on their online classes as they do not have the gadget.
"We've more than 4 lakh students in Classes XI and XII. Roughly around 2 lakh of them haven't been able to attend the online classes as they do not have android mobile phones. We upload videos of the classes on Facebook etc but if you do not have access to internet, how can you reap the benefit?," asked Syed Anisur Rahman, who is the general secretary of the association.
He said their worries were over this section of the students. "We urge the government to provide with android mobile phones, even if old ones, to these students and if need be, by making them beneficiaries of a scholarship," Rahman said.
He said the students might feel relieved if the pattern of question papers for the board exams could be tweaked.
"Usually, there will be some 10 questions bearing one-two marks. We suggested the increase of such questions to, say 15. Secondly, we suggested multiple choice questions bearing greater marks where students can attempt either of two-three questions," Rahman added.
While the government had come up with the idea of online classes for the benefit of students, the association said it was not possible to take classes on most subjects. There are suggestions for reduction of syllabus but the association felt it would not solve the problem.
"If reduction of syllabus was an answer to the problem, then what made the government to change the academic year?," it asked.
According to an assessment in 2018 by the Assam Higher Secondary Education Council, 1,443 schools, colleges and institutes in the state have facilities for higher secondary studies.