Reshma Ravishanker
The results of Karnataka’s Senior School Leaving Certificate Examinations-1 (SSLC) saw an improvement as compared to the previous year with the pass percentage increasing by 8%.
This year, 62.34% of the 8.42 lakh students who appeared for the SSLC exams have passed. This is as against a 54% original pass percentage of the previous year. As many as 22 students secured the perfect 625 score.
It may be recollected that the original pass percentage was 54% the previous year. Owing to such poor results, the state government doled out grace marks taking the pass percentage to 73.4%.
This year, however, minister for school education and literacy, Madhu Bangarappa, who announced the results in Bengaluru on Friday reiterated that chief minister Siddaramaiah directed that no grace marks should be given this year to boost the state’s performance.Bangarappa insisted thas the lower pass percentage could be attributed to a strict conduct of the exam and webcasting it live. He said that a slew of measures including appointment of 13,500 teachers, conducting evening classes post school and remedial education boosted the pass percentage.
“Since the supreme court has disallowed conducting the class 5 and 8 board exams, it was challenging for us to assess the learning levels. By December and January, the syllabus was completed. Remedial education was also offered. This helped. However, we can still use an opportunity through the second and third attempts,” he said.
22 toppers: Last year, only 2 students got a score of 625 as against 22 of them securing the perfect score this year. Among them are two students Roopa Chanagouda Patil and Shagufta Anjum from government schools in the state.
Online applications: Students can apply online for revaluations of their answer scripts via the KSEAB website. Students who have not secured the passing mark in examination-1 will be allowed to register free for exams 2 or 3. Bangarappa said that despite the three exams, if a student failed to pass these exams, the government was contemplating allowing them to enroll as a fresh candidate in government schools next year and appear for exams.
First batch of RTE students
The first batch of students who secured admissions into schools under the Section 12(1)(c) of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act (RTE Act) appeared for the SSLC exams in Karnataka this year. Among the 25,253 students who had appeared for the exams, the pass percentage stood at 75.57%. While the pass percentage among boys was at 67.68, that of girls was higher at 83.92 among these students.
Madhu Bangarappa said that the highest score secured by a student admitted under the RTE quota was 624 on 625.
