Schools will require double or triple the usual number of invigilators during board exams this year and several schools have asked teachers not to make travel plans during the summer as of now.
More teachers will be required on campus for invigilation because students will be spread across more rooms than usual.
A larger number of teachers will also be needed to maintain distance on campuses before the start of an examination, several school heads said.
The ICSE (Class X) and ISC (Class XII) theory exams are beginning on May 4. ICSE will end on June 7 and ISC on June 18.
The CBSE Class X and XII exams will begin on May 4 — the Class X exams will end on June 7 and Class XII on June 14.
“We have asked teachers, not just those in senior school but also in middle and junior school, to not make any travel plans during the summer vacation because the requirement on the campus could be higher this year,” said Anjana Saha, principal, Mahadevi Birla World Academy, a CBSE school.
In ICSE and ISC, the ratio of teachers to students during exams is 1:30 but several school heads said that unlike other years, all students cannot be accommodated in one hall this year and multiple rooms will have to be used to conduct the exams.
For example, instead of 25 students only 12 can now be seated in one room, said a principal.
In some schools, on days that both Class X and XII exams are scheduled on the same day, schools are also exploring the option of using separate rooms.
In CBSE schools, too, heads said that instead of using one block or one portion of the building, the requirement will be much more this year.
“We have requested teachers not to commit to any travel plans as of now this summer. We could need double or triple the number of teachers that we require each year and we know teachers will be supportive of this. On our part, we
will certainly be mindful that some free-time window is given to every teacher,” said Damayanti Mukherkee, the principal of Modern High School for Girls.
The summer break will be shorter than other years and schools are contemplating giving teachers a week or two instead of the usual four or five weeks.
“We have asked teachers not to make any travel plans but simultaneously we are working out a roster so that we can give them two weeks break instead of the usual four week,” said Seema Sapru, the principal of The Heritage School.
Lakshmipat Singhania Academy and Julien Day School Ganganagar have also told teachers not to make any travel plans for the summer. Rammohan Mission High school will be making the announcement on Friday.
The requirement of rooms will go up and so, naturally, more teachers would be required, said Sujoy Biswas, the principal of Rammohan Mission.
“The number of students in each room will be smaller and so, more number of teachers will be required. Teachers are directly involved in conducting the exams and they are aware of their responsibilities,” said Biswas.
Meena Kak, the director of Lakshmipat Singhania Academy, a CBSE school, said that once they have details of the number of examinees at their school, it will be easy for them to plan a roster for the teachers.
In ICSE and ISC, students appear for exams in their own school and schools have to send their teachers for invigilation to other schools. In CBSE, the students appear for exams from different schools.
“If we require more teachers for invigilation, we are also expected to spare the same number of teachers,” said Bobby Baxter, the principal of Julien Day School Ganganagar.
