Is there an antonym of 'tree', or for that matter the number '60'?
Students of the state-run schools in Prayagraj and Bhadohi districts in Uttar Pradesh were flummoxed after they were asked to write the antonyms of 'tree' and '60' in their internal examinations.
According to reports, the Hindi question paper for fifth standard students of a government school in Prayagraj had a question asking them to write the opposite of 'ped' (tree), while in another state-run school in Bhadohi district, the seventh standard students were asked to write the antonym of '60'.
The teachers, who were on invigilation duty during the examinations, also found themselves at their wits' end and unable to explain the questions when confronted by the baffled students, reports said.
A huge controversy erupted over the matter after it was taken up by the local media in the two districts. ''It's a serious matter...we have ordered a probe...we will ensure strict action against those responsible,'' said a basic education department official on Wednesday.
The official said that the question papers were prepared by the teachers from DIET (District Institute of Education & Technology) on the direction of the concerned Basic Education Officers (BSA) of the district.
The official said that there might be some minor errors in the question papers which were corrected by the teachers at the school level. ''But these are not minor errors....it proves that the question papers were not moderated or that the person who prepared the question paper had no idea what he was asking,'' he added.
In the past also, the teachers of the primary and middle (up to eighth standard) schools, during inspections by senior education officials, had failed to answer simple questions pertaining to general knowledge. Many of them also could not spell simple English words correctly.
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