Southern States - Kerala-Thiruvananthapuram   

Valuation of degree English papers thrown out of gear

By G. Mahadevan

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Sept. 23. The ongoing valuation of English papers, of various degree examinations of the University of Kerala held during May/June, has been thrown out of gear with close to a hundred teachers refusing to evaluate the answer sheets sent to them.

These teachers are learnt to have returned a good portion of the answer sheets sent to them in July, citing a variety of reasons, including `too much work load', for not evaluating them.

The university is now scrambling to identify teachers willing to evaluate the answer sheets `rejected' by their colleagues.

As a result, many teachers are now saddled with hundreds of answer sheets and there are complaints that the university is overloading the willing teachers, while taking no meaningful disciplinary action against those who regularly shirk valuation work.

The university's Controller of Examinations, V. Jayaprakas, told The Hindu, that many teachers are returning the answer paper bundles after sitting over them for close to two months.

Some teachers had returned the answer sheets in July itself.

"We are able to give only a limited time to those willing to value these papers now. Otherwise, the results will be delayed,'' he said.

College teachers argue that the university should distribute the valuation work evenly among all college teachers. Some teachers point out that the university takes its own time in reaching them the answer sheets, after the examinations.

It is pointed out that the valuation load is particularly high for English and Commerce, for which there are more number of papers and candidates taking the examination.

It is also pointed out that a teacher, who is taking classes for the post-graduate courses operating on the semester system, can ill-afford to take leave for many days to complete the valuation work.

``In the valuation camps the maximum number of papers a teacher is allowed to value in one day, is 25. I have now been given more than 700 papers. So, I need at least 28 days to complete the work. Moreover, I am doing the valuation after my daily work at the college. The university has, however, given me 10 days to finish all these papers,'' explains a lecturer in a city college, adding that under such circumstances, the quality of valuation would certainly be bad.

According to sources in the university, a list of lecturers who have refused to take up valuation work has been prepared and sent to the Directorate of Collegiate Education.

"Action can be taken against such teachers. So far, however, no major action has been taken against those who have shirked valuation work,'' the source explained.

The delay in valuation is not likely to affect the publication of the degree results in time, Dr. Jayaprakas said.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• Functioning of FRIENDS likely to be affected
• Govt. urged not to close cancer wing
• Valuation of degree English papers thrown out of gear
• Elections to college unions on Oct. 10
• Man gets life term for wife's murder

Copyright © 2003, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu