CHENNAI: Government school teachers have urged the school education department to install CCTV cameras in all Class 10 and Class 12 public exam centres in 2026-27 to prevent malpractice and ensure student safety. They have also sought computerised random allocation of invigilators, a tighter examination schedule and curbs on the use of mobile phones by chief invigilators.
The demands follow concerns over unusually high numbers of centums in some private schools. In one school, more than 100 of the 148 students who appeared for the Class 12 examinations in 2025 scored centums in Chemistry. However, the school recorded no centums in the subject in 2026. Following similar instances in a handful of private schools, the department appointed officers on special duty to monitor them in 2026.
“There have been Pocso cases against government school teachers posted as invigilators, with students alleging sexual assault and teachers claiming they were checking for malpractice. CCTV cameras in all examination centres would help ensure student safety and prevent malpractice,” said R Srinivasan, state general secretary of the TN higher secondary headmasters’ association.
Citing circulars issued by the CBSE and the Karnataka school education department, which he said made CCTV cameras mandatory, Srinivasan called for similar measures in TN.
With around 8.5 lakh students appearing for the examinations, accommodating 20 students per hall would require approximately 42,000 halls. Directorate of Government Examinations officials said installing cameras across more than 7,000 examination centres, each with multiple halls, would involve huge expenditure.
As an alternative, Srinivasan suggested randomly selecting examination centres and equipping them with plug-and-play cameras during examinations. Teachers have also sought a tighter examination schedule, arguing that long gaps between papers affect students’ concentration. They said the deployment of government school teachers as invigilators in private schools also disrupts regular classes for students in lower classes.
They have further urged the department to withdraw the provision allowing chief invigilators to use mobile phones for an hour after the examination begins to report absentees and other details, citing the risk of malpractice.
Teachers have also called for computerised random allocation of invigilators, alleging that the existing system leaves room for local influence, with some officials assigning more lenient invigilators to specific schools.
