Over 50% sheets are going unused in SSLC answer scripts

Hubballi: The govt is conducting SSLC examination thrice to reduce dropouts at SSLC level. However, many evaluators are observing that most students are using only four-five pages in the 25-page booklet and the remaining pages are going waste. At the other end, it is causing a burden on logistic works of booklets. Seeing this wastage of paper, that affects the environment, many teachers suggest reducing the number of pages in the booklet.
Many evaluators in Vijayapura and Bagalkot, where answer sheets of SSLC exam-2 are being evaluated, told TOI that very few of students have written answers beyond 10 pages.“As far as our observation is concerned, average number of pages used stands at 12-15. If the total number of pages is reduced to 20, we can save many sheets, cost and trees too,” they said.
Devendra Jirli, a govt high school teacher in Yelburga taluk, Koppal district, said that only a few students are using more than 15 pages.
“Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board (KSEEB), which is holding SSLC exams, can provide booklets with maximum 18-20 pages and can provide supplements if needed. This time, we are observing that English medium students have utilised very few pages. Most students are focusing only on objective type questions, one sentence questions. If they get 28 marks out of 80 in the written exam, they can easily pass if they get over 15 internal assessment marks. Hence, the usage of pages has reduced drastically in recent years,” he said.
He said he feels very bad to draw a line across empty pages. “We teach about reducing the need to cutting trees but here we are wasting papers in the exam,” he added.
Mamatha Arsikere, a schoolteacher, said providing supplements, in case students want, is a better option than having booklets with high number of pages.
Education minister Madhu Bangarappa was unavailable for comment.