Bengaluru: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has ordered as many as 19,500 schools affiliated to it to process a psychometric evaluation for all staff employed, both teaching and non-teaching, while stressing on ‘bus drivers, conductors, peons and other support staff’.
The notification has got the managements of CBSE schools thinking, leading them to hold discussions on determining the practicalities and implementations of such a test. According to M. Srinivasan, President of Managements of Independent CBSE Schools Association, most of the principals have shared their doubt in finding a total result of an individual from a psychometric analysis.
“None of the schools would refuse a productive thought towards ensuring child safety but we are still quizzing more on the process from experts before taking a decision as a group,” he told DC. They were not clear on how the analysis worked, he added. Psychometric analysis is designed in a manner so as to measure a person’s strengths and weaknesses. It helps to determine how suitable a role is, for a person, based on aptitude and personality characters.
Mamata Harish Iyer, clinical psychologist at DocsApp, believes that even though the Board’s decision to hold psychometric tests on employees is a good move, a complete evaluation of an individual’s background would not be possible. “A battery of tests is required to get a clear the idea of a particular personality and his/her inter-personal relationships. Even though psychometric analysis is done on a large scale based on its accuracy rate, that alone would not fulfill all requirements to determine a personality completely,” she said. The Board, in its notification, stressed on the fact that schools should complete, compile and submit reports of the tests conducted for employees “within two months of receipt of the circular.”
On the feasibility of acquiring final results in the timeframe mentioned, Ms Iyer said, “Tests at such a large scale can be conducted in group sitting method if properly monitored. A well-planned schedule and effective administrative techniques for the tests would guarantee data collection getting completed in two months time. Interpreting the results would anyhow take more than two months.”
The circular issued by Jaiprakash Chaturvedi, Deputy Secretary (Affiliation), CBSE, in the light of the student murder at Ryan International School, Gurgaon, last week, says, “The onus for safety of children at campus shall solely lie upon the school authorities. The staff members should be educated to recognise their protective obligation towards students and to ensure safety of children in schools.”
