Paper valuation may burn a hole in their pocket

Plus Two teachers grapple with uncertainty of transport services to centres in Tiruchi district

Plus Two teachers deployed for valuation duty fervently hope for resumption of bus services.

While it is not unusual for a section of teachers to commute long distances every day to their schools, those residing in other districts anticipate difficulty in reaching the valuation centres.

Valuation of Plus Two papers will take place from May 27 at 13 centres in Tiruchi district: eight in Tiruchi educational district, two each in Lalgudi and Musiri educational districts and one in Manapparai educational district, official sources said.

The School Education Department has directed the teachers to be in Tiruchi for the entire duration of valuation of the answer scripts.

But there are instances of some of the teachers commuting from Namakkal and Salem districts to schools in Musiri educational district, and from Dindigul and Karur districts to schools in Manapparai educational district.

Likewise, a good number of teachers from Ariyalur and Perambalur commute every day to schools in Lalgudi educational district.

According to department sources, arrangements have been made to operate buses from towns close to the neighbouring districts to the valuation centres. “We have liaised with the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation for operation of buses from places such as Thuvarankurichi, Vaiyampatti, Viralimalai, Thuvakkudi and Uppilliyapuram to the valuation centres,” Chief Educational Officer S. Shanthi said.

The teachers will have to travel to these towns by their two-wheelers to reach the examination centres. Teachers travelling to Tiruchi from other districts for valuation duty do not require e-passes. They can produce their identity cards, she added.

On their part, the teachers say travelling long distances by two-wheeler will be tedious and resumption of normal bus services will remove the element of uncertainty of reaching the valuation centres.

Official sources indicate that there is no certainty about restoration of normal bus services after the lockdown.

There is also the possibility for teachers from other districts to hire vans on a share basis. But the expenditure will be much higher than the remuneration they get for valuing the papers. They are paid ₹10 for valuation of every paper.

Barring Biology, for which eight papers are given for valuation for each of the two sessions in the morning and afternoon, teachers of other subjects are required to value 12 papers for each session.

“It looks like teachers commuting from other districts will end up spending more than what they earn by valuing answer scripts,” a senior teacher said.

Meanwhile, the teachers have been apprised of the safety protocol of wearing face masks, hand gloves, sanitisation and personal distancing. There will be only eight teachers in a room, in compliance with personal distancing norms. “That is why there are more valuation centres this year,” Ms. Shanthi said.