Evaluation of Plus Two answer scripts begins in southern districts

Evaluation of answer scripts for Plus Two public examination formally began in several southern districts of the State on Wednesday.

Though the examinations were held in March, the valuation exercise was delayed by two months due to COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdown.

Valuation of papers in Madurai district went smoothly on the first day, according to chief examiners.

Officials from the Education Department said that only chief examiners arrived at the centres to assess the safety of rooms and begin the exercise a day ahead of assistant examiners. On Thursday, 1,800 teachers would arrive at the centres to begin their work, said a source in the education department.

A chief examiner at a centre in Melur said the department had made arrangements to ensure that a maximum of eight persons would be seated in a room at a centre. “Buses have been arranged on 18 routes to pick up assistant examiners and drop them at to six centres from Thursday,” he said.

Virudhunagar

Collector R. Kannan said evaluation was being done at four schools in Aruppukottai and three in Sivakasi in Virudhunagar district. A total of 169 chief examiners in the rank of higher secondary school heads and senior-most PG teachers and 169 scrutinising officers in the rank of senior PG teachers would be involved in the exercise.

The Collector and Sivakasi Sub-Collector C. Dinesh Kumar, along with Chief Educational Officer Subashini, inspected the arrangements at the centre in S.H.N. Girls Higher Secondary School.

“On Wednesday, the chief examiners and scrutinising officers evaluated the papers to familiarise themselves with answer scripts and key words meant for evaluation of the scripts. This will help them to scrutinise papers evaluated by assistant examiners,” an official said.

From Thursday, 1,014 assistant examiners would start evaluation. Each of them would evaluate 24 answer scripts of all subjects except biology.

“For biology, each assistant examiner will evaluate only 16 papers as each answer script has to be evaluated by different teachers with expertise in botany and zoology,” the official added.

The evaluated answer scripts would be checked and verified by scrutinising officers and chief examiners.

The district administration had provided adequate number of masks at the centres to be distributed to all staff members involved in evaluation. Thermal scanners would be used to check the body temperature of staff members before they were allowed inside the centres.

Besides, facility for handwashing and sanitiser had been provided in all eight centres. All classrooms at the centres would be disinfected twice a day. The district administration had also arranged for food and bus facility for teachers to reach the centres.

Dindigul

Senior teachers tasked with evaluation were given orientation by officials from the Department of Education in Dindigul on Wednesday.

A total of165 chief examiners were present at their centres in Dindigul and Oddanchatram. Assistant examiners would begin valuation of the allotted answer sheets from Thursday.

Sixteen special buses had been arranged for teachers. The Red Cross had been given the task of screening the teachers. Health officials had been told to sanitise the areas at least twice a day. All teachers had been advised to ensure that they practised social distancing at the centres.

Ramanthapuram

Collector K. Veera Raghava Rao told reporters that centres at Ramnad and Paramakudi had been provided with all basic amenities. The teachers designated for valuation duty would be exempt from holding e-pass for travel if they were from other districts.

Sivaganga

The district administration had arranged eight buses from different destinations to the valuation centres. The special service would be operated till the valuation was completed, Education officials said.