Teachers seek exemption from board exam duties
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, February 25
With the allocation of duties to more than 1,700 teachers (collectively) during the board exams of Classes X and XII, the DEO office has been flooded with requests for the cancellation of teachers’ duties. Bad health, persistent ailments, small children at home, inability to stand for long hours and need to go home early, are the prime excuses which are being cited by teachers for seeking exemptions from these duties.
Majority of the requests seeking exemptions are being made by female teachers. Notably, in case of ill health, teachers have to present a certificate or documents regarding their ailment with a formal verification by the civil surgeon’s office.
The XII Board exams shall be held from February 28 to March 24 and X Board exams take place from March 14 to March 29.
Sources in the Education Department said, “As many as 50 calls came this morning regarding queries pertaining to exemption from duties.” Teachers with medical certificates in hand kept approaching the DEO office all day today regarding their board exam duties at the district or state-level, officials remained at office to attend to board duty-related queries and complaints.
While majority of the excuses cited by teachers to skip duty are regarding health concerns to self or a relative – like heart problems, high BP, diabetes, among other diseases - barring this, many teachers have also requested exemption since they want to be at home with a small child. Other requests include inability of teachers to remain outside their homes till late in the evening.
DEO Harinder Pal said, “Many teachers are coming with requests for exemptions from the exam duties. Ever since the duties have been announced the requests are pouring in, but of course exemptions shall only be provided to teachers who have a genuine reason. We cannot cut out or exempt teachers from any duty just because they can’t stand for three hours on exam day, especially, when they have been doing it all the year round. However, the genuine requests are being considered.”
