09 February,2015 07:13 AM IST | | Shreya Bhandary
This academic year has not been kind to students in the various Industrial Training Institutes (ITI) in the state – last semester about 50-85% of them were wrongly failed due to incorrect paper assessment, and once again, their nerves are frayed this semester, as they are kept in the dark about changes in the exam schedule
This academic year has not been kind to students in the various Industrial Training Institutes (ITI) in the state - last semester about 50-85% of them were wrongly failed due to incorrect paper assessment, and once again, their nerves are frayed this semester, as they are kept in the dark about changes in the exam schedule.
The Byculla Industrial Training Institute was amongst others in the state that received a rude shock the previous semester when over 50 per cent students failed the papers due to a wrong answer key used for assessment. File pic
Originally, the examinations were scheduled to begin today, but on February 6, the students got worried when they didn't receive their hall tickets even with just three days days to go. "We have no clue whom to ask help, and students are getting worried all over again," the principal of Fr Agnel Technical Institute in Vashi, D W Patne had said.
mid-day's report about the results fiasco on November 26, 2014
Even as they were preparing for the exams, students were worried that they would have to make a last-minute scramble for the hall tickets because of the delay. Shockingly, however, when mid-day contacted authorities at the Directorate General of Employment and Training (DGE&T), they said the exams had been rescheduled.
Exams postponed
"We have revised the exam schedule; exams which were supposed to be held on February 9, 10 and 11 will now be held on March 1, 2 and 3. So the students will receive their hall tickets next week accordingly," said Deepankar Mallick, director (training) at DGE&T.
He added that the revised schedule had been posted on the directorate's website and that colleges could check the site for further details. But the institutes were upset with the directorate's response, as many were completely unaware of the schedule changes, and were under the impression that the exam was to begin within days, that is, on February 9.
"Any changes in the exam pattern should be informed to colleges, especially when we are so close to the exams. No intimation was given about any changes and we have been waiting for a circular at least from the directorate, explaining the situation. This just shows how little importance our students' future holds for the directorate," said the principal of another ITI in the city.
Results fiasco
It may be noted that the previous semester in November, colleges across the state received a rude shock when between 50 to 85% of the students failed (âOver 50 per cent ITI students fail exams', mid-day, November 26, 2014).
The institutes blamed the changes in the syllabus and marking patterns, especially the negative marking system. It turned out later though, that a mistake in the answer key had resulted in wrong paper assessment. In the revised results released in December, performance in many colleges improved by nearly 30-40%.
