1 week Ago By N Dhamotharan
COIMBATORE: A shocking incident of negligence by the Tamil Nadu school education department has proved costly for a first-generation learner belonging to an SC community in Nilgiris. Despite having failed in three subjects in the Class 10 board exams in 2022, the girl student was admitted to classes 11 and 12 and allowed to take both public exams, which she passed.The discrepancy came to light only when the girl applied for college admission, invalidating two years of her high school education and forcing her to join an Industrial Training Institute (ITI) for a wireman course based on her Class 8 marks.
The girl had studied Class 10 at a government high school in Aravenu in Nilgiris district. In the public exams held in 2022, she failed in three subjects: mathematics, science and social science. However, in violation of norms, the headmistress of the government higher secondary school in Kotagiri admitted her for Class 11 in a vocational stream (Office Management and Secretaryship), even before she wrote the supplementary examinations.
In the supplementary exams held in August 2022, the student passed in mathematics but failed again in the other two papers.Nonetheless, in March 2023, she sat for her Class 11 public exams and secured 310 out of 600 marks. The next year, she took the Class 12 exams and passed with 306 out of 600 marks.
‘Won’t have lost 2 years if HM had guided me well’The school issued her mark sheets for classes 11 and 12 on May 6, 2024. All four mark sheets—Class 10, supplementary exams, classes 11 and 12—were signed by the member secretary of the State Board of School Examinations under the Directorate of Government Examinations (DGE).The student told TNIE that she had applied for the Class 10 supplementary exams based on the instructions from her teacher at the Aravenu school.
When she sought admission for Class 11 at the Kotagiri government school, the then headmistress had a teacher assist her in filling out the application form, she said.“I was told to attend Class 11 after submitting my Class 10 mark sheet and transfer certificate. Following this, I wrote the supplementary exams, and then I did not think about them.
The HM and teachers also did not ask about the status of those exams,” she said.The Kotagiri school’s HM at the time, D Ameelia, who retired in 2024, refused to comment on the matter.“After completing Class 12, I attempted to get a BCom seat in a government college, but my application was rejected stating I had failed Class 10.
Only then did I understand that passing the Class 10 exams was necessary to study Classes 11 and 12. After that I got my supplementary exams mark sheet. If the HM had guided me properly, I wouldn’t have lost two years,” said the student.
According to her, after the college denied her admission, Ameelia took her to the office of the chief education officer, where she was told to write the supplementary examinations again.Asked about this, School Education Director S Kannappan told TNIE that he would inquire into the matter. However, he claimed the mistake was not only the HM’s but also that of the student, the first in her family to go to school.
School Education Secretary B Chandramohan assured action will be taken. Child rights activist A Devaneyan blamed the school education department for the situation.“As per norms, the HM should have admitted her to Class 11 only after she passed Class 10.
I don’t know how this happened. Without considering her Class 10 marks, how did the DGE generate her register numbers and mark sheets,” he asked.He urged the state government to form a committee to inquire into the matter and take legal action against the HM, district and department officials as well as the DGE.
Educationist Su Moorthy noted that even if the student cleared the Class 10 supplementary exams, she would still have to repeat Classes 11 and 12, which would be difficult for her.“As relief, the department should assist her in clearing the Class 10 supplementary exams. After that, it should validate her Class 11 and 12 mark sheets by releasing a special government order so she can join college.
This validation should also hold good if she applies for a government job,” he said.‘Blame is on dge’Without considering her Class 10 marks, how did the DGE generate her register numbers and mark sheets, asked child rights activist A Devaneyan.
