Sources claim that the schools have neither received any questionnaire for evaluation nor has any counsellor visited their premises. This is in stark contrast to the last year when students were asked to evaluate teachers on a bi-annual basis.

“We regularly received feedback forms from the department which were to be filled by the students. Counsellors appointed by the department also visited schools on a regular basis to interact with students about the project. Things are different this year,” said a principal requesting anonymity.

Director Public Instructions (Schools), Samwartak Singh, meanwhile, denied that the project has not been executed this year. “We have been taking feedback from principals and also assessing the teachers’ mid-term results. The department has also decided to take into consideration any complaint lodged by a student about his teacher,” Singh said. He added that while teachers continue to be assessed, only the ‘mode’ has changed.

“How else do you expect us to write the Annual Confidential Report?” he asked.