Teachers say they cannot be solely blamed for result dip, flag OSM issues

New Delhi: Delhi govt school teachers are facing mounting pressure following a sharp decline in CBSE Class XII results this year, with many educators blaming the newly introduced on-screen marking system (OSM). The Govt Schools Teachers’ Association (GSTA) has written to the Delhi education minister seeking the withdrawal of show-cause notices issued to teachers, alleging that technical and procedural shortcomings in the system led to unusually strict evaluation.In its letter, the association claimed that the OSM system was implemented “without adequate preparation and practical assessment”, despite earlier suggestions that it be introduced first as a pilot project. According to the GSTA, evaluators across subjects encountered several issues during the assessment process, including “blurred scanned answer sheets, uploading of incorrect answer booklets, missing pages of answer sheets, and difficulties in reading scripts due to poor handwriting”.The letter stated that these issues forced evaluators to adopt “excessive caution to avoid any error”, which “consequently resulted in unusually strict marking in many cases”. Following the declaration of results, students and parents reportedly raised complaints over marks being significantly lower than expected, while many also faced technical problems during re-evaluation applications.Despite these concerns, teachers were allegedly held responsible for the decline in school-level results. “Several teachers were issued show-cause notices and memorandums. They were also threatened with adverse remarks in their annual performance assessment reports, thereby creating an atmosphere of unnecessary stress,” the letter said.GSTA general secretary Ajay Veer Yadav said teachers were unfairly blamed for systemic shortcomings. “Every teacher performs his or her duties with complete dedication, sincerity and responsibility towards students. Holding teachers solely responsible for such outcomes is neither fair nor justified,” he said.The association has urged the govt to treat all notices issued to teachers as “null and void” and provide educators with a “stress-free and supportive environment” ahead of the next academic session. There was no immediate reaction from the education department.