The Hindu : Front Page : Concern over new question paper pattern

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 04, 2006

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Concern over new question paper pattern

Shastry V Mallady

A meeting of chemistry teachers to be held today to plan strategy

MADURAI : With higher secondary public examinations round the corner, officials of the School Education Department and headmasters in the district are worried about more failures in chemistry subject.

The number of Plus-Two students who failed in chemistry last year was over 400 in the district and this year the department's woes are compounded since a new question paper pattern has been introduced just before the recent half yearly examinations that were held as per old pattern.

"We are taking steps not to repeat the bad numbers in chemistry. Teachers handling the subject will be given orientation keeping the new question paper pattern in mind and we will find our grey areas," K. Sridevi, Chief Educational Officer, told The Hindu.

Even as the department is trying to improve the overall pass percentage in the higher secondary examinations, it is taking no chances, particularly with chemistry, based on the "negative feedback" received from school heads.

Last year, the highest number of failures was in chemistry.

A meeting of chemistry teachers (handling Plus-Two) from all schools is called on January 4, in which the authorities will find out difficulties, besides formulating a teaching strategy for the next two months.

Ms. Sridevi said examination preparation would be intensified based on the new pattern "and we are confident of improving students' performance in chemistry."

Meanwhile, several headmasters/teachers conveyed their fears of more failures since students are yet to take any examination on the revised pattern for chemistry, physics, biology, botany and zoology.

New pattern

According to N. Ammayappan, general secretary, Tamil Nadu Higher Secondary School Headmasters' Association, teachers are equally worried as students because psychologically the new pattern is yet to be understood by them in many schools.

"Our request for withdrawing the new pattern and introducing it at the beginning of the next academic year has not been accepted. So, we have to take damage control measures to prevent more failures," he said.

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