Just as the evaluation of answer scripts for classes V, VIII and IX summative assessments have been completed, private schools in Bengaluru have allegedly found lapses in evaluation, leading to several students scoring abysmally low scores.

While some schools in the city said that there were lapses in the methodology of the evaluation of the newly introduced state board exam scores, others said that even their top scoring students have failed to reach the expected marks.

D Shashi Kumar, general secretary, Associated Managements of Private Schools in Karnataka (KAMS) said schools have indicated several discrepancies in the assessed answer scripts.

“The answer scripts which were evaluated at a district level have been sent to schools now. The association has received calls from schools citing that the evaluation is replete with errors,” Kumar said.

Some schools found that a bundle of answer scripts they received have answer scripts which have not been evaluated at all. In some other cases, despite writing the right answers, students have not been given adequate marks. Schools also complained that even some of the top scoring students have secured unexpectedly low scores.

Kumar sought that the Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board take onus for this and give guidelines on how these individual cases must be considered. He has asked schools to gather evidence to submit to the board.

“What happens once a student has failed in the exams has remained a question. There is permission to detain students of class 8 who fail exams as per law. However, if a well performing student has failed the exam due to an evaluator’s fault, what should be done?” he sought to know.

The department had proposed that two re-exams be conducted for students who have failed these exams, between which remedial education would be offered to help students reach age-appropriate learning levels.

T Lokesh, president, Registered Unaided Private Schools Association alleged that such substandard work is a result of the government thrusting the job on underqualified teachers.

“Kannada teachers evaluated English papers. Being asked to evaluate 80 papers in a single day was burdensome for teachers. In the wake of regular teachers being roped in for election duty, part-time teachers have also evaluated papers. The evaluation and examination process has been conducted in a very unscientific manner,” added Lokesh. 

Also read: Karnataka: 4 formative, 1 summative exam evaluation pattern in schools