When students score poorly in board exams, it might not be their fault at times. It might be because of errors by teachers who are grading their papers.
In a bid to curb such errors, the Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB) has come down heavily on teachers. It has fined over 18,000 teachers Rs 2.3 crores in four years for grading errors. Teachers of maths and science were the most penalised.
Errors are detected during reassessment or moderator’s check. Between 2018 and 2023, barring the Covid pandemic years, when mass promotions were given, 18,778 teachers were penalised.
Rs 100 fine per error
They had to pay a huge amount of Rs 2,34,47,213. Teachers are fined Rs 100 for each error. The amount has to be either paid in cash or through a demand draft or cheque made out to GSHSEB which conducts class 10 and 12 board exams in Gujarat.
Around 30% of the errors made by teachers involve miscalculation while adding students’ marks in each question or section, said board officials.
These mistakes come to light when students seek a reassessment. The assessment process involves two phases: initial assessment by teachers followed by a moderator’s check for accuracy.
Decline in mistakes
This year, over 75,000 teachers assessed approximately 81 lakh answer sheets for Class 10 and 12 board exams. At times, the errors are revealed when the board randomly reviews the assessment process.
GSHSEB vice-chairman Dinesh Patel said the board summons teachers who make assessment errors and imposes the fine. The errors are unintentional. Notably, there has been a decline in mistakes over the past year, he added.
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