Maharashtra: As evaluation begins, state board revises remuneration rates for teachers assessing HSC, SSC papers

The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) implemented the revised remuneration rates for evaluation of papers, which has been a long-standing demand of teachers. This increase, according to the board, will ensure evaluators are content and assessments are accelerated. While teachers acknowledged that their remuneration has finally been revised, many complained that this is a minimal increase.

These remuneration rates are based on marks of papers. For example, a paper of 100 marks is considered as a three-hour paper whereas a paper of 80 marks is a two-hour paper.

According to the revised rates, for HSC, a teacher will now get Rs.7.50 per paper for a three-hour paper and Rs.6.50 per paper for a two-hour paper, as opposed to Rs.5 paid earlier. Whereas for SSC, a teacher will now get paid Rs.6.50 per paper for a three-hour paper and Rs.4 per paper to evaluate a two-hour paper, for which previously teachers were paid Rs.3. In SSC, there are also papers of 2.5 hours, for which teachers will now be paid Rs.5 per paper, instead of Rs.4 that was paid before the revised rates were implemented.

Chairman of MSBSHSE Sharad Gosavi said, “Remuneration rates have been revised addressing the long-pending demand of teachers. This is the first year of revised rates and we hope it satisfies teachers who are evaluating SSC/HSC papers.”

He added that along with examiners, even others are now going to be paid as per revised rates. This includes senior examiners, moderators, senior moderators and chief moderators. First three come under the same bracket and are paid based on per-paper rates, which are slightly lesser than for examiners as they have to grade lesser papers. Chief moderators however are paid a lump sum at once, which ranges from Rs.3,000-5,000.

A senior teacher from a school in Mumbai said, “The rates have increased so marginally that we are confused as to whether we should rejoice that the rates have been revised or complain that it is this low.”