Goa board faces flak for 'difficult' SSC science paper

Panaji: Class 10 science question paper drafted by the Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (GBSHSE) has invited the ire of students and teachers who termed it as "very difficult, twisted and strange". The Goa Headmasters' Association (GHA), the body representing heads of all the schools in the state, has written to the GBSHSE protesting against the complicated question paper.

However, the GBSHSE cited a recent survey conducted by the NCERT on problems faced by Goan students in science and mathematics for the difficult question paper. "The students who answered the SSC examination were shocked and in tears to find a very difficult, twisted and strange science question paper.

"Parents, teachers and all stake-holders have expressed a grave concern over the sudden change of the pattern and difficulty level of the science question paper," GHA president Vithoba Desai stated in the letter addressed to the Board.

A total of 20,261 students had answered the Science paper on April 11 during the week-long examination held at 27 centres across the state.

The GHA stated a sudden change of the pattern was shocking and fearful and even teachers too were not trained or prepared at any workshop to teach the changed pattern to the students. "While on one hand no detention policy makes it mandatory to promote the students till 8th standard, it was strange to abruptly increase the understanding and application level of science at SSC," it said.

Desai said they are now concerned about the "endangered future and career" of the students, particularly those hailing from rural areas of the state.

When contacted, GBSHSE chairman Ramakrishna Samant said the paper was set up by the board for intelligent, average, and weak categories of students. "The scrutiny committee of the board has endorsed that the particular paper catered to all three categories of students ? intelligent, average and weak," he said.

Samant said the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) had conducted a survey recently in which they observed that Goan students are facing problems in subjects of science and mathematics.

"The NCERT conducted workshops for science teachers in New Delhi. Similar workshops were organised in Goa by the State Council for Educational Research and Training in December 2017.

"During the workshops the teachers were given clear idea about possibility of such papers being set up for the students," he said.