Kozhikode: A bizarre order from the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya assistant commissioner has put the teachers in a bind. KV Subbareddy of the Hyderabad regional office of Navodaya has asked the teachers to give a written assurance that they will achieve 100 per cent pass in class 10, 12 exams in their institutes.

Navodaya has a benchmark of 80 per cent mark for each student. If students fail to attain it, teachers are asked to show cause. This new circular notes that the students are not achieving it. However, teachers say this is the first time that the institute has asked for written assurance.

Navodaya schools have students who may not excel in all subjects equally and using the same scale is unfair. Most of them are appearing for a board exam for the first time. The benchmark will put pressure on them, said the teachers.

The India Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti Staff Association filed a complaint with the commissioner on Wednesday.