Tribal welfare dept teachers asked to travel to Salem for paper evaluation

CHENNAI: With the half yearly exams for classes 10, 11 and 12 concluding on December 21, the Department of Tribal Welfare has instructed teachers to evaluate the papers of higher secondary school students.

Along with the School Education Department, the half yearly exams for higher secondary students under the Adi Dravidar Welfare schools and Tribal Welfare schools commenced on December 9. And, uniformly these exams are to conclude on December 21 for all students.

Though for half yearly exams, usually conducted within the respective schools, papers are evaluated by the same teachers; this year, the officials of Tribal Welfare have given a rather strenuous task of asking all Bachelor of Teaching (BT) teachers and PG teachers to travel to Salem to evaluate answer papers.

Speaking to DT NEXT, a Tribal department teacher said, "Taking a Salem Eklavya model residential school as the centre for the whole state, the BT and PG teachers have been instructed to assemble at the location (date not confirmed) for evaluating answer papers. However, this instruction was not given in written format as a circular, but as an oral instruction from the higher-ups."

The PG teacher further added, "Such a move will force teachers to travel from far off districts for evaluating answer papers. If we evaluate the half yearly answer papers of our own students, we will be in a better position to give feedback."

The teachers further claim that the department should revoke this announcement and allow teachers to evaluate the half yearly answer papers at the same school so that students are given necessary feedback for board exams scheduled in March 2025.

The department official could not be reached when contacted.