Clause 5 of “Evaluation Criteria” of Class X & XII against students interest, Tamal Banik writes to Ranoj Pegu

July 2: The government of Assam on 1 July has announced the evaluation criteria for the students of Class X and Class XII on Thursday. The results of the High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) students and High School (HS) students will be calculated using those criteria. There will be no rank list for top ten students and the highest marks in each subject will not be announced. It was also recommended that there will be no provision for Re-Checking of Answers Scripts since there is no physical examination held this year. However, students’ grievance of any error(s) reported will be endorsed.

However, former Silchar Municipal Board (SMB) Chairman and Congress leader, Tamal Kanti Banik raised severe objection to Clause 5 of the ‘Evaluation Criteria’ of Class X & XII as announced by Assam government and wrote to State Education Minister Dr Ranoj Pegu for omission of this particular clause for the benefit of the student community. On Friday, in the absence of the Deputy Commissioner, Tamal Kanti Banik handed over a memorandum in this connection to ADC S Sarkar for onward transmission to the Education Minister of Assam.

Clause No 5 in both the Notifications (for Class X & XII) states, “The marks secured by the students in this evaluation process by SEBA without holding physical examination will be acceptable for admission to the next Higher Class in Educational Institutions and future career, where passing of such examination are considered as qualifying examination. But for those students who aspire to become teachers/ employees in the Education Department of Assam or any other Department under Government of Assam where recruitment of teachers/ employees are substantially based on HSLC or HSSLC marks, without there being any scope of written test or interview, shall have to appear in special HSLC/AHM examination to be conducted later after improvement of the situation as stated in para-4 above so that they are at par with previous or future batches of HSLC or HSSLC in assessment of merit.”

Tamal Kanti Banik in his memorandum stated that the particular Clause No 5 of the “Evaluation Criteria” is detrimental to the interest of the student community. While interacting with newsmen, Tamal Kanti Banik raised the following issues in connection with the “objectionable clause”:

1. As a major section of the students who would qualify HSLC/AHM/HS this year will definitely cherish the dream of entering into the teaching profession under Assam govt and so they will have to mandatorily appear in special examinations which would be conducted “…within 15th September 2021 subject to the condition that Covid-19 pandemic is under control and conducive for conduct of examination. In case, if it is not feasible to hold such examination within the ongoing session, they may also be permitted to sit in such examination to be held in 2022.”
2. This particular provision will certainly snatch away 1 extra year from the lives of these students without any fault being committed by them. It was due to the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic that the Government had to cancel the HSLC/AHM and HS Final examinations following the footsteps of CBSE and many other state boards. So to victimise the students by compelling them to sit for the exams again sacrificing one precious year from their career is ofcourse a violation of natural justice.
3. If the students who would pass HSLC/HS this year are allowed to go for higher studies on the basis of this mark sheet, than it seems strange to compel them to appear for exams again who in the future would seek a job of a teacher or a clerk!
4. Moreover, by the addition of this controversial clause (No 5), the Education Department has sent a strange message to the people at large that deptt itself is not convinced of its own “Evaluation Criteria” and so it is compelling the students to sacrifice a year from their career to appear once again in the exam as and when it is conducted.
5. While devising the “Evaluation Criteria” by CBSE, no such clause was inserted and so such clause devised by Assam government too should be abolished. Even while cancelling the CBSE Class XII Board Exams, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about the welfare of the students. In a tweet, PM Modi wrote, “Government of India has decided to cancel the Class XII CBSE Board Exams. After extensive consultations, we have taken a decision that is student-friendly, one that safeguards the health as well as future of our youth.”

In the light of the above, Tamal Kanti Banik urged upon the state Education Minister to cancel this particular Clause (No.5) from the “Evaluation Criteria” and make “it as our Prime Minister said, ‘student-friendly one that safeguards the health as well as future of our youth.’ Rescuing the students from the hands of coronavirus but drowning them simultaneously by devising crafty mechanism is totally unwelcome. I, therefore hope and believe that in the greater interest of the student community, this particular clause should be done away with immediately, to uphold both natural justice and prevent loss of one precious year from their lives.”