Delhi teachers’ body asks min. to revoke notices over Class 12 results, blames OSM rollout

The Government Schools Teachers’ Association (GSTA) has urged Delhi education minister Ashish Sood to withdraw show-cause notices issued to teachers over the decline in CBSE Class 12 pass percentages, arguing that the drop stemmed largely from flaws in the newly introduced On Screen Marking (OSM) system rather than teacher performance.

In a letter to the minister, the association said the OSM system, introduced by the CBSE this year for board answer-sheet evaluation, was rolled out without adequate groundwork, practical testing or sufficient training for evaluators.

The GSTA said it had earlier recommended that the system be introduced on a pilot basis and expanded only after a proper assessment of its feasibility and outcomes.

The association pointed to widespread disruption and operational difficulties during the evaluation process under OSM, saying teachers struggled with unfamiliar software and technical shortcomings.”

Under the system, physical answer sheets are scanned and uploaded for digital evaluation by examiners. However, teachers across several centres reportedly complained of blurred or poorly scanned copies, incorrect uploading of answer booklets, missing pages, delayed access to scripts and difficulties reading handwritten answers on screens. In some cases, evaluators allegedly struggled with mismatched page sequences or incomplete answer scripts, raising concerns about the accuracy and fairness of assessment.

The transition to digital marking also sparked complaints about inadequate orientation sessions, software glitches and increased pressure on teachers expected to complete evaluations within fixed timelines despite technical disruptions.

According to the association, these problems compelled evaluators to adopt “excessive caution” while awarding marks, which may have led to stricter marking in numerous cases.

The GSTA said concerns extended beyond teachers to students and parents, many of whom questioned marks that appeared lower than expected after the Class 12 results were declared. It added that several students also encountered hurdles during the re-evaluation and verification process.

Referring to an overall decline in CBSE Class 12 performance at the national level this year, the association argued that teachers alone could not be blamed for the results.

It alleged that several teachers had been served show-cause notices and memorandums and threatened with adverse remarks in their annual performance appraisal reports (APARs), creating anxiety and resentment within the teaching community.

GSTA general-secretary Ajay Veer Yadav said teachers regularly support students through remedial classes, additional instruction sessions and parent-teacher engagement, but board examination outcomes ultimately depend on individual student performance.

The association urged the education minister to declare all notices and memorandums linked to the Class 12 results “null and void” and called for a supportive atmosphere that would enable teachers to strengthen future academic outcomes rather than face punitive action.

With PTI inputs