Ludhiana: Teething troubles hit PSEB’s on-screen marking of papers

teachers said that the one-day training was not enough to adapt to the digital platform, especially for those not well-versed with technology

In a first, the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) has introduced on-screen marking for the Class 10 Social Science board examination, the evaluation of which began on Tuesday. While the move aims to modernise the assessment process, teachers across government schools have reported several challenges, reportedly raising concerns over its smooth implementation.

A government school teacher, requesting anonymity, said that despite having Wi-Fi, the connection often fails. (HT Photo)

To prepare educators for the new system, social science teachers were provided with dummy answer sheets, instructional videos and digital toolkits. However, many teachers said that the one-day training was not enough to adapt to the digital platform, especially for those not well-versed with technology.

They further pointed out that poor internet connectivity and frequent technical glitches are slowing down the evaluation process. A government school teacher, requesting anonymity, said that despite having Wi-Fi, the connection often fails. “The system shuts at 4 pm, and if there is a delay in resolving technical issues, we have to restart checking the same answer sheet from the beginning,” the teacher said.

Another teacher highlighted problems faced in double-shift schools. She said teachers are required to start checking from 9 am, but those in double shifts report as early as 7 am. “There is no clarity on the number of answer sheets assigned. Once one paper is completed, another appears automatically. Also, evaluators are required to spend at least seven minutes on each paper,” she added, noting that there are no designated checking centres for the process.

Dharamjeet Singh Dhillon, district president of the Lecturer Cadre Union, criticised the timing of the initiative. He said introducing such changes during final examinations is not appropriate. “Such experiments should be done during mid-term exams. Students should not suffer due to technical or operational issues. Many senior teachers also struggle with digital tools as many of them do not use computers and are finding it really difficult to work on the system with just a single day of training,” he said.

Responding to the concerns, district coordinator Simranjeet Kaur said that while some issues have been reported, helpline numbers have been provided and PSEB officials are in regular contact with teachers to offer support.