Teachers says‘no’ to unit tests

Mou Chakraborty
Kolkata, August 20, 2007
A SECTION of Bengal teachers are protesting against the implementation of unit tests in secondary schools.
From this academic session, the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education has introduced eight unit tests in a year in all secondary schools. It is this move that has ruffled the feathers of many teachers who believe that the plan is detrimental to the interest of students.
“This (unit test) is not helping students. To the contrary, the unscientific process is hampering their studies. As a mark of protest against the decision, we will not attend the state government’s function on the occasion of Teachers’ Day,” said general secretary of School Teachers & Employees’ Association (STEA) Subhankar Bandopadhyay.
The teachers said that several schools did not have the required infrastructure and atmosphere to conduct unit tests.
Bandopadhyay said: “Most of the schools do not have proper building and often have about 250 students in every session. Is it possible for the teachers to check so many answer scripts in a short span of time and point out the mistakes to students?”
Teachers belonging to the STEA said that several schools have not been able to conduct the unit tests properly. “If 6-7 students have to share a bench even during exams, then it becomes difficult for teachers to spot copycats. This makes it difficult for teachers to track the weaker ones,” said Bandopadhyay.
The teachers are also unhappy with the pass marks for the unit tests. “Earlier, a student had to score 34 to pass in a subject, but for unit tests it is 25. It means that students who would otherwise have been declared unsuccessful will now pass in the new system,” he rued.
The STEA is also angry with the government for extending the number of periods. To accommodate remedial classes after unit tests, schools now have eight periods instead of seven. This, several teachers feel, is discouraging students from coming to school.
“Most students come from poor family and do not have the privilege of enjoying a full meal before coming to school. By the seventh period students are exhausted. So, when the eight period starts they are not in a position to take any more input,” Bandopadhyay said.
The STEA has decided to hit the streets with their demands. Other than urging the school education minister to withdraw unit tests, the STEA will hold a protest meeting in front of Bikash Bhavan on September 21. For now, the outfit has planned a massive signature campaign among teachers from Tuesday.
The teachers are also not happy with the proposed move of the government to start no detention policy in primary schools. If the proposal is implemented, students will be eligible for promotion even if they fail in two subjects.
Mou.chakraborty@hindustantimes.com