Though the publication of exam results on May 21 without major problems made students happy, waiting till July to get hold of mark lists is saddening. Picture for representational purposeNews of students who have got admission for higher studies in many places facing difficulties because of the delay in getting the mark list of higher secondary examination should open the eyes of authorities. Though the publication of exam results on May 21 without major problems made students happy, waiting till July to get hold of mark lists is saddening.
Though those who want it urgently can pay a fee of Rs 150 and get a provisional mark list, the problem is that many institutions of higher standard insist that original mark list should be submitted. Some institutions are happy with even provisional certificates. But some students faced difficulties because they gave applications without even that.
In the beginning, mark lists prepared by teachers in centralised evaluation camps were sent to the directorate and they were tabulated using computers in Pareeksha Bhavan. After the announcement of results, they were printed at the directorate itself and sent to schools. At that time, students used to get mark lists within two weeks of the announcement of exam results.
However, the present method is to upload marks from camps and create a database in the directorate by adding practical and CE marks and grace marks, if eligible, and announce the results. The time saved by going online helps to announce results early. However, when it took more than five weeks to get mark list, it became useless.
What is the reason for the delay in printing mark lists by more than five weeks, when it should be done in two weeks normally? Earlier, printing marks on blank mark lists printed at the security press were done in the directorate. Now the job of printing mark lists is given to the security press itself. It is a good step that helps to lower the workload of the directorate, reduce the number of temporarily appointed data entry workers and avert mistakes. However, the problem this time was the delay in selecting the press. Though the work was given to the printer who quoted the lowest rate in the tender, it was later found that he did not have the capacity and another press had to be found.
When such an important work is given, a decision should be taken only after considering the capacity of the press, its experience and the efficiency it has shown while doing similar work for other establishments. It is as important as the rate quoted in the tender. However, concerned people falter in such situations either because of the fear of audit or because of the lack of confidence in effectively justifying the apt decision in the file. They cannot be blamed. Because, at times, even for decisions taken with good intention, many people suffer at the end of a mechanical audit. This points to the importance of people working at different levels of the government taking decisions alike by giving first priority to efficiency.
Whether in the field of general education or in universities, many a times, the faith in exams and the speed in conducting exams, announcing results and distributing mark lists become the criteria for excellence in governance. The failures in the announcement of SSLC exam results this time were painful. Instead of looking for sacrificial lambs, identifying weak links through professional assessment and taking suitable measures to ensure that all future exams are conducted faultlessly is our primary responsibility towards students.
(The writer is a former director of higher secondary education and a former controller of examinations of University of Kerala).
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