20 out of 100 enough for teaching job in Bengal

Scoring 20 out of 100 marks in mathematics is likely to disqualify a candidate or fetch poorest grades in any examination....

Scoring 20 out of 100 marks in mathematics is likely to disqualify a candidate or fetch poorest grades in any examination. But 20 out of 100 seem to be enough marks for the School Service Commission to allow candidates to qualify for teaching mathematics in secondary schools across the state.

The West Bengal School Service Commission,while declaring results of SSC Exam 2009,last week said it had reduced pass marks to 20 from existing 40 for mathematics and bio-sciences in case of reserved category candidates. The teachers associations and academicians allege that it is a case of academic dilution and a reflection of falling academic standards in the state.

However,the commission,the biggest recruiter in the state (over 10,000 teachers per year),has its own logic. According to Chairman Ranajit Basu,unless the marks are lowered the posts of reserved category teachers can never be filled up. The vacancies in reserved category are piling up year after year. We cannot provide schools with alternative candidates and the schools have to suffer because of lack of teachers, said Basu.

Sources in the commission say it is difficult to get candidates from the reserved category with high marks in their graduation in mathematics and bio-science. The commission has always had to lower the pass marks in case of reserved category candidates. This year,since it was lowered significantly,it has come to the notice of the people, said an official of the commission.