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Education News

are out of 2023-24 syllabus from the Purle.
assessments, and assess (answers to) KEA director S. Ramya, howev-
only the remaining questions. Two er, refused to disclose information on
questions with incorrect solutions the process of selecting question pa-
will also be awarded grace marks,” per setters. “It’s a matter of confiden-
said the complex statement ruling tiality,” she told EducationWorld.
out a re-exam. Moreover, “the KEA is Overhaul of the question paper
directed to prepare a detailed Stan- setting process apart, educationists
dard Operating Procedure for setting are demanding a common syllabus
question papers for KCET”. for maths and science subjects across
r. M. Mohan Alva, president, all 69 school examination boards
DKarnataka Unaided Pre-Univer- countrywide. Several committees of
sity College Managements Associa- the Union education ministry and
tion (KUPMA), blames KEA for the the Council of Boards of School Edu-
question papers mess. “There is lack cation in India (COBSE) have recom-
of co-ordination between the KEA mended a uniform syllabus in these
and PU board on the latest ration- subjects for class XI-XII students
alised syllabus. The KCET manual countrywide, to ensure a level play-
clearly states that KCET will contain ing field for students writing com-
only questions from the syllabus pre- petitive exams for admission into
scribed for I and II PUC by the PUC collegiate undergrad programmes.
board. How can the question paper However, there is no consensus
contain questions from the syllabii among the 67 state boards on imple- youth) is pervasive and in small and
of other exam boards? How can KEA menting this recommendation. Thus medium-scale industry, salaries are
finalise question papers without this the out-of-syllabus questions mess in rock-bottom. Therefore government
basic check? This sheer negligence KCET 2024. school teacher jobs are so prized that
of KEA has caused great distress to Reshma Ravishanker (Bengaluru) families desperate for sons and daugh-
students and parents. Even though ters to be employed as teachers in gov-
answers to the the 50 out-of-sylla- WEST BENGAL ernment-run schools — private school
bus questions will not be assessed, salaries are several multiples lower —
the damage is done. Many students Statewide shock sell property and take huge loans to
were so rattled after reading these pay bribes upto Rs.20 lakh to govern-
questions on exam day that they series of teacher recruitment ment officials to land these jobs.
were not in the right mental state to scandals have plagued three- Therefore, an April 21 judgement of
te
answer other questions,” says Alva. A rm West Bengal chief min- a Calcutta high court division bench
Thimayya Purle, honorary ister Mamata Banerjee since 2011 nullifying a 2016 teacher eligibil-
president, Karnataka PU Lecturers when her Trinamool Congress (TMC) ity test (TET) conducted by the West
Association, believes the mess has party famously routed the CPM (Com- Bengal School Service Commission
been caused by KEA inviting lectur- munist Party of India-Marxist)-led (SSC) and written by 2.3 million aspir-
ers from private colleges to serve on LDF coalition which had ruled the ing school teachers, of whom 25,753
the question papers setting commit- state continuously for 34 years. were selected and appointed in 15,302
tee. “Earlier, only faculty members of Employment in government government and aided secondary and
government PU colleges were invited schools in which salaries for primary higher secondary schools, has gener-
to set KCET papers. Of late, KEA school teachers start at Rs.33,000 ated huge statewide shock.
has begun inviting private college per month after implementation of In its ruling, the high court directed
lecturers to also set papers. These the Sixth Pay Commission (2020) the state government to initiate a new
private college lecturers are setting recommendations, is highly prized in TET within a fortnight of declaration
papers to suit students from CISCE West Bengal (pop.91 million). During of Lok Sabha election results on June
and CBSE board schools. Hence the 34 years of uninterrupted Marxist rule 4. Meanwhile, all 25,753 “illegally re-
out-of-syllabus questions in KCET (1977-2011), the state suffered con- cruited” teachers have to return their
2024. KEA needs to establish a tinuous capital flight and de-industri- entire remuneration earned within
transparent process and take utmost alisation. Therefore, jobs in industry, six weeks. The bench also directed
care that only highly-qualified and business and commerce have been the Central Bureau of Investigation
experienced lecturers are selected for scarce for decades. Unemployment (CBI) to probe into the appointment
setting KCET question papers,” says (7.6 million registered unemployed process and submit a report within

28 EDUCATIONWORLD MAY 2024