Andhra Pradesh - Anantapur   

Collector takes SSC exam as challenge

ANANTAPUR: The SSC examination commencing on March 24 in the district has a lot at stake this year, as not only students, teachers and parents, who have been working overtime for six months to achieve the best possible results in the recent years, but even Collector N. Sridhar has his fate clutched in the hands of the students.

It the may sound odd as to what is the relation between the SSC exam, the Collector and his fate. But, those who follow the events in the district, particularly, the students, teachers and parents, know why.

The Collector has taken it up as a challenge to improve the results and secure a place for the district among the top ten.

The Collector has also gone a step further and stated that “It will be meaningless for me to occupy the Collector’s seat if I fail to keep the district among the top 10.”

Poor results in SSC exam over the years have prompted him to take up the challenge. The otherwise is on the top in implementation of several welfare schemes.

The Collector’s worry is about the fate of students from poor families who might falter in SSC exams. It’s the bare fact that most of the students from poor families who are unsuccessful end up as farm workers. To achieve the goal, the Collector has been working hard for the last six months by taking up the entire exercise in a campaign mode.

He had a series of meetings with headmasters of high schools, principals of residential schools and house welfare officers (wardens) of the hostels.

Initially, the students were categorised into four groups based on their performance till half-yearly exam. Later, special study material was prepared keeping in view the last grade students to shore them up.

A 40-day special review of syllabus was taken up in January-February with special focus on four chosen subjects. Two hours of special classes were taken everyday after school hours and the students’ comprehension of the subjects taught was assessed on daily basis.

Public chipped in by volunteering to arrange meals for the students in villages during the exercise.

An analysis of last three years’ results was also done and it was found that of the 19,823 failed students in 2006-07, 16,347 had faltered with five marks difference and another 2,718 students with just one mark.

The Collector wrote letters to the headmasters explaining the statistics and the difference they could make with little more concentration.

The results of the last 12 year in the district indicate that it was placed at the bottom in most of the years. It’s now the turn of about 45,000 students to meet the Collector’s expectations.

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