Begin typing your search above and press return to search.

Mixed results for Govt schools

By City Correspondent

GUWAHATI, May 15 - Students of city-based government schools showed mixed results at the SEBA-conducted HSLC Examination.

The student community of the government high schools mainly belongs to the lower middle class section of society. Many of their parents are daily wage labourers or small traders. Although these students lack proper guidance at home, as stated by the school authorities, yet a few among them have shone in the results by overcoming all hurdles.

One such student is Kaushik Barua, a student of Kamrup Academy Higher Secondary School, located at Chenikuthi locality of the city. He secured 77 per cent marks in the examination and scored 100 in the Retail Trade subject.

Kaushik, whose father is a driver and mother a petty trader, sharing his feelings said, �I am very happy today. This is my success and this has made my parents smile. I love Maths and want to be an engineer.�

This time, altogether 69 students sat for the HSLC Examination from Kamrup Academy Higher Secondary School and 14 students secured the first division, 39 passed in the second division and 11 in the third division. Five students were unsuccessful.

�I think the results have shown improvement, because last year, our pass percentage was 78 per cent and this time it is 92 per cent,� CB Rai, Principal of the school, told this reporter.

According to Rai, most of his pupils belong to the below poverty line category and lower middle class and their parents are also not much concerned with their wards� studies.

�Most parents are daily wage earners who leave home early in the morning and return late in the evening. So, they cannot manage time to concentrate on their children. Still, some of the children are different and have shown talent in various fields,� he added.

Meanwhile, Manik Chandra Barua High School, once an iconic school of the State which produced many eminent personalities, fared very poorly in the examination this time. According to the school authorities, this time, altogether seven students sat for the examination and out of them three secured the third position.

�Most of the students of our school come from various shelter homes and slum areas. So, there�s obviously a lack of proper study environment in their homes. We have tried a lot but could not get good results,� a teacher of the school said, insisting on anonymity.

Balay Kumar Deka, Principal of Cotton Collegiate Govt HS School, where 85.2 per cent students passed the examination, termed the results as mixed but better than last year when 76.42 per cent students had passed.

�We are now targeting to achieve 100 pass percentage in the coming year. Most of our students hail from the underprivileged sections; yet, some of them are very brilliant.�

Commenting on the results, educationist Dr Hiren Gohain stressed that the Assam government should follow the example set by the Delhi government in reviving the government education system.

�The same situation had persisted in Delhi a few years ago. But Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal made a drastic change in the past few years through a complete revamp of government schools. The duty of the government does not end in providing funds, rather it should also work in encouraging the teacher community. Earlier, the inspectors concerned frequently used to visit every school. This system has to be revived again,� he said.

Another educationist, Abdul Mannan, said the whole education system was now dominated by the private sector.

�It is a corporate-aided international phenomenon where the government always remains silent. It means education will only be for the rich section in the coming days. It is nothing but a conspiracy to increase inequality in society. Especially in Assam, no one is answerable in the government education system. So, the system is gradually dying,� he said.

He added that the poor results have proved that in the government schools, there was acute scarcity of basic infrastructure, manpower and quality teaching.

�The private sector shows good results because they have a good management system and well-trained teachers. But, government schools are reeling under scarcity of teachers. We have already moved the government to do something to develop the government education system, but without any response,� said general secretary of the All Assam Students� Union, Lurin Jyoti Gogoi.

Next Story