CBSE and an annual ordeal for teachers
India’s Central Board of Secondary Education [CBSE] is
one of the largest education boards in the world. It operates over 27,000 schools
across India and 28 other countries serving about 6.4 million students. Maybe
such enormity of size makes it terribly inefficient in some matters. The
assignment of assessment duties to its teachers is one area where the Board has
failed again and again.
I pointed this out to the regional
director of the Board in Thiruvananthapuram many years ago. The man ordered an
enquiry against me instead of looking into the seriousness of the issue I
raised. The principal of the school where I was performing the assessment duty was
entrusted with the duty of inquiring about my credentials. I told her to write
whatever she wanted.
“What can that man do?” I asked the
principal with unconcealed sneer. “At the most he can cancel my assessment
duties and I will be happy for that.”
Yes, my problem was precisely that
duty. I was always given the duty in faraway places which required of me to
leave home early in the morning and return home late in the evening. Long
drives are not only tiring but also expensive. Who pays for the petrol? Why can’t
CBSE give these duties to teachers in schools nearer their homes? That was one
of my questions. My questioning actually started when the Regional Director
asked teachers to join two or three groups on WhatsApp and Telegram. It was an absurd
and pointless demand. That man was just imposing his gargantuan ego on hapless
teachers. And my ego rebelled.
In the end, the Regional Officer
realised that he was helpless in taking any action against me. I was not his
employee. Simple.
Almost a decade has passed now but
nothing has changed vis-à-vis the assignment of duties. Maggie has got her duty
in a place which can be reached only after a two-hour bus journey since she
doesn’t drive a car. And the buses are unbearably crowded in the mornings and
evenings. Fortunately Maggie’s brother lives quite near to the school where
she was allotted duty. So she has shifted her residence temporarily for
the sake of CBSE.
I went with her on the first day of
her duty since she was not familiar with the place. The school belongs to
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan which was managing our school in Delhi before a godman
encroached and killed it.
This Kerala school’s campus was as charming as its Delhi counterpart’s. I felt some strange nostalgia. I found myself clicking a lot of pics. Here are a few.
Hari OM
ReplyDeleteA smart looking place indeed. My cousin, a teacher in Australia, found that when she was invigilating she was posted at a distance from her usual placement... I guess it is to prevent any familiarity and therefore, laxness. It does require dedication, it must be said. YAM xx
In this case, the assessment is evaluation, not invigilation. There's no possibility of any teacher coming to know which student's paper she is evaluating in CBSE's system because the answer books are all code-numbered. Nobody can ever find out who that code number stands for. That's a very efficient system. Because of that preciesly, teachers needn't travel far for the sake of secrecy.
DeleteWhat's happening is sheer inefficiency. I have studied this issue for long. CBSE wants to make their job easy. That's all. They don't care about teachers at all. At all. And that's terrible. I can say a lot more, but I restrain myself because my wife is still in the system.
Hari OM
DeleteAh, interesting - and adds clarity. Yes, if all 'blind' reading, then definitely could be better managed for the teachers... though the base truth in all such things is that those employed are themselves only numbers to those who are employing... Yxx
Lovely photos. Looks like a wonderful place!!! Thank you so much for sharing.
ReplyDeleteYes, the place has an old-world charm with traditional Kerala architecture and sylvan surrounding.
DeleteThat is ridiculous. They don't have you proctoring tests in the schools you teach at? Wow. That makes no sense at all.
ReplyDeleteThis is evaluation of answer sheets which is always in particular "centers." Centralized evaluation is what they call it. Teacher-examiners have to report there for about ten days.
DeleteEven proctoring which is called invigilation here is always in another school but that's usually not far.
Well said. School campus looks beautiful.
ReplyDeleteIt is indeed.
DeleteI wish the entire system was decentralized and given an operational house man face. Only people in the district will know the difference between NaGapuzha and NaKapuzha. One is quite close to you and the other, faaaaar. For this to happen, the entire system has to be humanized,.... Glad you have not the capacity for Nostalgia, in spite of the lingering ire for the godman and his devotee, who, together invisibilized the Mehrulli BVH.
ReplyDeleteCBSE isn't even willing to listen to its teachers. How do we expect a human face from them?
DeleteSpeaking of nostalgia, I just completed writing a short story for an anthology about Sawan, an old gate keeper at a neighbouring Mother Teresa Home, and friendships. Nostalgia appears there in a different form - as shaping of new memories and meaninigs.
Operational Human Face
ReplyDeleteNot lost the capacity for Nostalgia.
ReplyDeleteYa, there are all these practical realities that the board should look into.
ReplyDelete