Kongbrailatpam Biswapa Sharma
Guwahati, Mar 5 : As per notification regarding inviting claims and objections to the notified preliminary score of candidates for Upper Primary Teacher under SSA (Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan), I wrote an application to The Project Director of SSA and then to The Principal Secretary of Education to correct errors in the point-score calculations. But that was turned down by them. Now I would like to bring up my argument to the knowledge of the general public through your esteemed paper.
The syllabi and schemes of examination for bachelor degree under Manipur University change from time to time. During 1992—1995, for instance, first year courses are non-credit ones conducted by the respective colleges, and so its total mark scored was not counted for degree (i.e. for percentage, division, honours, etc). During 2002—2005, for instance, the non-credit courses are evenly distributed in the three years of degree courses. Though it is necessary to pass the non-credit courses, their total mark is never counted for degree (i.e. for percentage, division, etc). Regarding calculation of percentage for bachelor degree, the SSA should accept the University rules; the SSA cannot supersede the University. If one is asked what the logic is behind not giving any weightage for class XI total mark scored in SSA while is not so for class X total mark scored, I think one cannot but says that class XI courses are non-credit courses conducted by the respective schools. I heard that for those whose non-credit courses are equally distributed in the three years, (for instance, 2008 pass-outs under Manipur University) the mark-scores for the non-credit courses are not counted for the percentage. If that was so, why not so for those whose non-credit courses are not equally distributed, (for instance, 1997 pass-outs under Manipur University)?
As per the model-calculation for point-score given by SSA, point-scores are calculated in two steps: first percentage, and then the point-score from the calculated percentage; the calculations are done upto three decimal points. So rounding-off is done twice: first for percentage, and then for point-score. The SSA did not follow exactly its model calculation. From the point-score calculation the officials made in my form, I came to know that they either rounded-off the value only once at the last or they simply truncated it at the third decimal point.
The points I bring up above regarding the point-score calculation for bachelor degree under different schemes of examinations should not be ignored, for it brings wide discrepancy among candidates under different schemes of examinations.
After going through the list of selected candidates and candidates in waiting-list published by the government recently, I come to realise that the responsible government officials do not know how to list candidates in order of merit, and do not understand the difference between the meanings of ‘reserved’ and ‘unreserved’. No reasonable person in this world would understand the published merit list.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/ssa-primary-teacher-selection/