THRISSUR: Taking "disciplinary action" against higher secondary school (HSS) teachers who boycotted answer sheet valuation the other day, the Higher Secondary Education (HSE) Directorate shifted the tabulation centre at the Government Model Girls' HSS here to the Government Model Boys' HSS.
HSS Teachers' Association (HSSTA) president Radhakrishnan M said the move might have been taken to serve as a warning to protesting teachers.
“Nearly 85 per cent of the teachers engaged in valuation across the state participated in the boycott on Wednesday. We believe the HSE director took the step to send a warning to the protesting teachers,” said Radhakrishnan, adding the move would delay the tabulation process. “We have approached the director asking him to reconsider the decision,” he said.
Mahesh Babu, chairman of HSSTA, Thrissur, said all 11 teachers at the tabulation camp in the school participated in the boycott.
“The HSE director's move contradicts the official stand that valuation should proceed without any hindrance. Now, it will take a lot of time – at least three days – to transfer all the files and equipment to the boys' school. Since the entire process is confidential, new passwords will have to be created. Hence, though officers at the new centre will not have to start from scratch, it will take them time to get acquainted with the process,” Babu said.
HSE joint director Imbichi Koya said the decision to shift the tabulation centre was taken as a disciplinary action.
“There are 109 valuation centres in the state and each district has three tabulation centres. Each tabulation centre is manned by 11 teachers, including a leading officer. So, if one of them decides to join the protest and boycott work, he or she has the responsibility to appoint another person in his or her stead,” said Koya.
“But in the case of Government Model Girls' HSS, this was not done. All the 11 teachers participated in the boycott. This was gross negligence of duty and deserved disciplinary action,” he said. Koya maintained work at all the other centres proceeded as usual. “In the Thrissur school's case, nobody was there to receive the mark sheets sent by the valuation centres,” he said.
He also rubbished the teachers' claim regarding the delay in resuming the valuation.
“There will not be any delay. There are two other tabulation centres in the district, both of which are looking after Plus One. The Government Model Boys' HSS is one of them. Since the officers at the school are already set and every process has been digitalised, there will no delay in processing the Plus Two marks,” he said.