TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: The Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (GBSHSE) has decided to impose a penalty on schools that failed to follow the internal assessment marks (IAM) format, resulting in confusion in the SSC results.
The two schools that reported incorrect marks of many students have now written to the Goa Board accepting their failure to fix the problem before the results were announced on May 23.
“We will fine the respective schools for each erroneous mark-sheet,” GBSHSE Secretary Bhagirath Shetye said. The fine amount will not be more than Rs 100 per mark-sheet.
The schools reportedly submitted the mark-sheets to the GBSHSE, which varied with the marks uploaded on different websites. Even though the Board claims that the irresponsible attitude of the schools would not change the pass percentage of a student, it has nonetheless taken up the matter seriously with officials willing to initiate inquiry.
The incorrect marks on the IAM sheets – containing 47 columns – were pointed out by the Goa Board to the schools concerned during a meeting before the commencement of SSC exams on March 31. However, only some schools heeded the directions and made changes while the rest failed to do so.
Board officials concede that staffers in certain schools are not well-versed with computerization and that could have led to filling of incorrect marks. In the wake of this episode, the officials have decided to hold computer training for the teaching and non-teaching faculties to prevent such errors in future.
It has already simplified the process of filling the IAM by reducing it from 47 columns to 10, from the coming academic year.
