Skip evaluation, pay Rs 50k per teacher: CBSE to schools

To ensure a smooth evaluation process of answer scripts this year, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has come down heavily on schools that fail to relieve their teachers for evaluation duty by imposing a heavy penalty of Rs 50,000 per teacher. The board has empowered its regional offices to carry out strict implementation.

A circular issued by the board stated: As per a notification sent to schools on March 5, all the schools are directed to follow the directions mentioned in the circular and relieve all the teachers nominated by the board strictly as per schedule. It has been observed in the past that schools adopt lax attitude in relieving teachers for evaluation thereby hampering and jeopardising the evaluation process and release of results. 

The competent authority has authorised the regional director and all the regional officers to levy a penalty of Rs 50,000 per teacher from schools that fail to relieve appointed teachers for evaluation duty.” 

Welcoming the move, Surender Sachdeva, Principal, Delhi Public School, Bopal, said, “We need 19 teachers at every evaluation centre. Usually, 1-2 teachers cite medical issues or personal reasons and do not turn up, which hampers work. Hence, to ensure quality, the board has imposed a heavy penalty.

“Many times, principals are reluctant to give up their teachers fearing their work will be affected in the absence of those teachers for nearly 15 days or so. However, we have to ensure good quality paper assessment for our students. At DPS, Bopal, almost all our teachers get assigned for evaluation duty once we fill teachers data online and we face great difficulty. But I’m still with the board on this.”

A teacher from a Naranpura school, requesting anonymity, said, “It is a tricky situation as schools most of the time do not relieve us. While we go for checking papers, schools expect us to work from home post the evaluation.”

Appreciating the move, Manan Choksi, executive director, Udgam School for Children, said, “It is a good move as, eventually, the quality of assessment is often affected when teachers don’t turn up. This decision will reduce the workload on those teachers who turn up for assessment.”