SCERT goof-up leaves Class-8 students in a fix

THE FIRST PAGE OF THE SCIENCE QUESTION PAPER WAS MISSING AT LUDHIANA, SANGRUR, AND MOHALI EXAM CENTRES

LUDHIANA: In yet another goof-up by the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) on Saturday, Class-8 students at examination centres in Ludhiana, Sangrur and Mohali found the first page of their science question papers-cum-answer sheets missing.

Information of students, including their names, roll numbers and subject, besides marks awarded, are written on the page that was missing from the booklets.

In Ludhiana, district education officials directed the students to write their details on the top of question papers that come attached with answer sheets.

The problem was witnessed at three examination centres in Ludhiana — Government Senior Secondary School in Lubangarh, GSSS in Hambowal Bet and GSSS (Girls) in Macchiwara — where 200 students took the exam.

A government schoolteacher, requesting anonymity, said, “I was surprised when I opened the packet and found the first page missing. The students were asked to attempt the paper and write their names and other details in the end. The higher authorities would term it a printing error, but such issues are serious in nature, which must be avoided during final examinations.”

Ludhiana deputy district education officer (secondary) Ashish Kumar said, “Three schools informed us about the issue. The exam started on time at all the examination centres in the district.”

SCERT director Inderjit Singh said, “We will look into the matter and find out who was responsible for it. It can be a printing error.”

CHAOS AT FIVE SCHOOLS IN SANGRUR

Five schools faced the issue in Sangrur.

“We managed the situation as students wrote their roll numbers on the next page and completed their exam,” said Paramjit Singh, district examination controller.

This comes two days after Class-8 students received Punjabi question papers instead of social studies on Thursday.