In an attempt to bolster the pass percentage of students who appeared in matriculation exams of 2018, government schools in Kashmir illegally prevented 13000 students from writing the annual test.
By doing so, a 17 percent increase in the pass percentage was achieved which goes to hide lack of improvement in actual terms in performance of 10th standard students studying in government schools.
Consistently unable to improve education performance, the government schools found this shortcut for the last session, filtering out a record number of students, mostly from poor and middle-class families, allowing only those students to appear in the annual examination who they perceived had more chances of passing it.
In 2018, government school students appearing in the matriculation exam saw a steep decrease of 13784 students from the previous year when 69256 wrote the test.
According to Board of School Education figures, the pass percentage of government schools was 46 in 2017 and 63 in 2018, marking a 17 percent increase over a year. The number of students who passed the exam however was much less for the same period.
Only 26089 students from government schools could reach the final examination in 2018 as compared to 38944 in the previous session. The figure for private schools for 2018 and 2017 session was almost similar—29383 and 30312 students, respectively.
To rule out the possibility of low student enrolment in 2018 session, media accessed figures from 2017, when the students were in standard 9. Here the situation becomes even more alarming as the number of dropped students rises to an astonishing 26919.
Figures from the State Institute of Education (SIE) Kashmir reveal that 53008 students from government schools had appeared in annual class 9 exams in 2017, who later were promoted to standard 10 in 2018.
Out of them, only 26089 students of the total enrolment had appeared in 2018 annual matriculation exams.
This raises a question; where are the missing 26919 students?
Assuming the number of students appearing in class 10 examination in 2018 was same as 2017, to rule out factors like students being out of station, ill, drop outs, domestic problem or other issues, the unusual drop of students ranging from 13000-26919 appears unexplainable and highlights a disturbing trend.
“It means either the 50 percent of the students have not continued their studies in class 10 or they have been detained by schools after ‘golden test’,” an official said.
“A drop of more than 26919 students in a single year has never happened before. While the department is taking credit of the improvement in the pass percentage, they are conveniently hiding the huge decrease of students appearing in the exams.”
This year, the aggregate pass percentage in class 10 exams was 75.44, as against 63 in 2017.
If all the dropped students were allowed to appear in the examination, the pass percentage would have turned from record high to record low.
“The department is focusing only on percentage but not on the number of students taking exams. Government needs to go for an exhaustive exercise to see the real picture. They should ascertain the reasons for a drop of 13000 students in a single year,” an official said.
According to the BOSE statistics, the drop has been reflected in government schools only, while as the number of private schools students taking class 10 exams has remained almost the same since 2015.
The BOSE statistics reveals that number of private school students appearing in exams was 31657 in 2015, 30115 in 2016, 30312 in 2017and 29383 in 2018.
From government schools the number of students who appeared in class 10 exams was 29162 in 2015, 28178 in 2016, 38944 in 2017 and 26089 in 2018.
The pass percentage of government schools for grade 10 was 50 in 2015, 74 in 2016, 46 in 2017 and 63 in 2018.
It is evident that the number of students has remained mostly unchanged from 2015 to 2017.
“If we go by the JKBOSE figures, it means that either the students have left out of studies enmasse or the schools conveniently prevented these students from appearing in the BOSE annual examination for fear of getting failed,” an official said.
In 2015, the state’s education minister had barred schools from detaining students in class 10 and 12 BOSE exams with an aim to have a clear picture about the performance of government schools.
However, that direction was thrown to the winds in 2018.
The reality in government schools attest to the theory of detaining students by school officials.
For example Government higher secondary school Muqam Handwandpora in Langate had 45 students enrolled in class 10, out of which only 27 were allowed to appear as regular students.
Around 17 students qualified the class 10 exams with a pass percentage of 62.9.
Another high school in Mawar zone of Langate had 17 students enrolled in class 10, out of which only 9 were allowed as regular students.
All the nine students passed the annual exam.
“The department is hiding the realistic picture by barring the students to appear as regular students in class 10 and 12 exams,” another official said.
Director school education Kashmir G N Itoo said the department has no available means to determine the actual situation.
“It has to be ascertained why there was such a huge drop in one year. We will take up the matter with BOSE,” Itoo said, adding the exam for disqualified students will be held in February.
“It will be examined on the basis of applications received for the exams in February.”
Special secretary, school education department, Muhammad Hussain Mir admitted the drop in the number of students who appeared in the exams this year.
“One of the fundamental reasons is that mostly girl students face difficulties to pass mathematics subject due to which they become school dropouts”, he said.
He said the education department was analysing the problem and trying to fix it.
“The department has constituted an academic committee which will meet on January 7 to discuss this issue. Let us see how we can address this problem,” he said.
