JOIN USDU's exam rule to help teachers' kids
Delhi University teachers and students are questioning the increased scope of biased evaluation in the new examination format, fearing that children and relatives of teachers and the vice chancellor studying in DU colleges may get preference.
A new format has been decided for the November exams, where students have to write their and their father’s names, apart from other details in their answer scripts, which won’t be hidden from the evaluator.
“The VC’s son is studying in one of the prestigious colleges of North Campus. There will always be a doubt in our mind that he may get preference because of his father’s name,” said Sushant, a second-year Commerce student of Hindu College.
“When the identity in examination papers was hidden, there was uniformity. We knew that we will get marks according to what we have written and not because of who our father is,” said Sushant.
In the ongoing indefinite hunger strike by Delhi University Teachers’ Association, placards were seen taking a dig at the VC by students of St Stephen’s College. One of the placards read: “My son will be passed because my name will be on his paper.” Students are equally concerned about teachers’ wards and relatives studying in DU colleges.
“I don’t understand why information like my father’s name or contact number is required on my answer sheet at all,” said Abhay Das, student of Ramjas College.
The VC said the new examination pattern is to make the evaluation system more transparent and will prevent delays in announcing results.
However, even teachers have questioned the new pattern of three different teachers evaluating certain parts of the same paper. Under the old format, papers used to be checked by the same evaluator and re-checked by two others to keep tabs on evaluators.
“Although we are yet to get any circular about the new examination format, I think with this in place the time taken for evaluation will come down. However, with teachers checking a specific portion of the paper, there is enough scope to be biased in one’s portion,” said a Political Science professor of Kirori Mal College. The VC said there can be no bias as all the three examiners cannot hold prejudice against the same student.
“When Other Backward Classes reservation during admissions are not followed by DU properly, when DU is yet to implement the University Grants Commission’s 2006 guidelines of filling appointments for reserved category teachers, can the administration claim that they are not biased?” said the professor. “How can they assume for others then? I am not saying that teachers will be biased, but why give such a scope?” said the professor, adding there are chances that students will start blaming teachers for getting bad marks.
“Hiding identities used to act as a buffer for students and teachers,” said Abha Dev Habib, a Miranda House professor.