TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Chaos reigns in schools and higher secondary institutions across the State, as teachers and heads of institutions have been caught between multiple duties imposed on them during the last few days, pertaining to examinations and election work.
The on-going internal exams which have been brought forward by the Education Department in the wake of Lok Sabha elections in Goa on April 12 have been hit the most as institutions are struggling to conduct the exams with less staff strength as teaching and non-teaching staff are either on election duty or for Goa Board assessment.
To add to the already existing problems, Principals of Higher Secondary institutions have also been summoned for election duty as returning officers. Their orders of appointment have not been cancelled despite appeals from the Principals Forum to exclude principals from election duty.
“We are not opposed to do election duty,” said Sudan Bhave, President of the Goa Principals Forum stated that presently there is chaos in the institutions as staff, both teaching and non-teaching are out on election duty and Board assessments. He said, “Who will run the institutions and ensure smooth conduct of internal exams if the principals also have to go on election duty,” quizzed Bhave.
Both schools and higher secondary institutions are currently reeling under tremendous pressure following a request from the Education department for pre-poning internal exams and completion of the same before April 10. Initially internal (final) exams were scheduled after April 9 as per the academic time-tables prescribed by the Education department last year.
“This has turned the entire schedule haywire,” Bhave said adding that his own institution, a small higher secondary in Pernem has a staff strength of 19 out of which 17 are out on different official assignments of the Board and election commission.
Another head of an institution said, “Teachers have to be exempted from election duty in case elections are held any time between March and April as it interferes with the exams and year end workload.”
“This year the situation is chaotic and we institution Heads are having a tough time having to juggle staff between three major tasks,” he said.
Head of another school in Panjim not wanting to be named said, “This year we had voiced our concerns in advance to the education department and Goa Board. It appears that the authorities have not presented our case satisfactorily before the election officials,” he said, adding that it now seems impossible that there would be any relief considering the fact the election training is reaching the last stages and no changes would be permitted at this juncture.
Very few schools and higher secondary institutions, selected as examination assessment centers, completed the internal exams in advance as the institution premises’ were required for conducting assessment. Hence teachers in those institutions have some breathing space even though they continue to be bogged down with paper correction, Board assessments and election duty.
This year the situation in schools is chaotic and the heads of institutions are having a tough time having to juggle staff between three major tasks, said head of an institution
