Tamil Nadu Exam Reforms: Teachers Call for CCTV, Random Postings
Teachers in Tamil Nadu's government schools have recommended a set of measures to improve the conduct of the 2026-27 Class 10 and Class 12 examinations. Chennai, October 26: The suggestions center on installing CCTV cameras at public examination centres, improving how invigilators are appointed, and rethinking the timetable and phone rules during tests.
The recommendations were made in the context of unusual result patterns at some private schools. At one such school, over 100 of 148 Class 12 students scored 100 out of 100 in chemistry in 2025, while in 2026 none of its students reached that mark. Responding to these differences, the education department assigned Officers on Special Duty to monitor exams at these private institutions in 2026.
R. Srinivasan, state general secretary of the Tamil Nadu Higher Secondary Headmasters' Association, argued that CCTV monitoring would protect students and make examinations more accountable. He recalled cases in which government teachers acting as invigilators were booked under the POCSO Act after students alleged sexual harassment. The teachers, for their part, said they had been checking for copying and other malpractice.
He pointed to CBSE and Karnataka School Education Department circulars that mandate CCTV coverage and said Tamil Nadu should adopt a similar framework.
Officials at the Directorate of Government Examinations have raised concerns about cost. With more than 7,000 examination centres, each having several halls, camera installation would be expensive. Assuming around 8.5 lakh candidates and 20 students per hall, nearly 42,000 halls would require coverage.
As a middle path, Srinivasan suggested deploying plug-and-play cameras at selected centres during exams. Teachers also said long intervals between examinations hurt students' concentration and recall.
Teachers further pointed out that assigning government teachers to examination duty at private schools disrupts regular teaching in lower classes. They also questioned a provision letting chief invigilators use phones for one hour after an exam begins to share attendance and other details, warning that it could be misused, and have demanded its removal.
Finally, teachers want examination staff to be selected through a computer-based random process. They alleged that local influence sometimes shapes postings, placing supervisors who do not enforce rules strictly in certain schools. Random allocation, they said, would make the system more transparent and ensure consistent supervision across every centre in the state.