Role reversal in Andhra Pradesh: Students to evaluate teachers

HYDERABAD: State schools will see a role reversal in their classrooms soon. Starting this academic year, students will be asked to evaluate the performance of teachers.

As per a decision taken by the department of school education, students of both private and government schools will be allowed to evaluate the performance of teachers in the classroom from this December.

The evaluation sheet will have questions on teachers ranging from their teaching skills to their attendance and also whether they are approachable. It will also evaluate the approach adopted by the teachers in class, especially towards students who are poor performers. The exercise is meant to be an extension of the project started by child protection committee about four years ago, whereby a complaint cell against teachers was set up. The process will become integral to the promotion of teachers as their marks will be taken into consideration during the annual appraisals in private schools. In government schools, the promotion of teachers will also depend on the marks given by students. A report on the performance of teachers will also be sent to the DEOs concerned. School education department officials said the DEO would ensure private schools enforce the programme.

Officials said that the teachers will be evaluated on a ten point scale. "We thought of a new evaluation process as the department felt that teachers should be accountable to students. The process will be introduced in classes V to X and we are even thinking of extending it to junior colleges that fall under the school education department," said a senior official.

 

Teacher associations have, however, opposed the move stating that the government should not link the performance with promotions. "The government is already conducting tests to evaluate the teachers as per the instructions of the Right to Education Act. With this new evaluation, the pressure on teachers will mount. This is not a good trend," said N Narayana from United Teachers Federation (UTF).

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