The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : SSLC exams: girls outdo boys

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Wednesday, May 14, 2008
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Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

SSLC exams: girls outdo boys

Staff Reporter

89.5% of 44,080 students in district qualify for higher studies

245 girls, 84 boys secured A+ in all subjects
Three schools under the Corporation had 100 per cent results

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Girls outsmarted boys in securing A+ grade in all subjects in Thiruvananthapuram revenue district in the Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) examination for 2007-08, the results of which were announced by Education Minister M.A. Baby here on Tuesday afternoon.

While 245 girls secured A+ in all subjects, the corresponding figure for boys was 84.

From a total of 44,080 candidates, comprising 21,928 boys and 22,152 girls, who appeared for the examination in the district, nearly 89.5 per cent qualified for higher studies.

In the 30 schools under the city Corporation, 92.81 per cent of the 3,548 candidates who took the examination were declared eligible for higher studies, a significant increase from the previous year when only 79.7 per cent candidates were eligible.

Three schools coming under the Corporation – Tamil High School, Chala, City High School, PMG and Fisheries School, Poonthura – registered hundred per cent results. G.R. Anil, chairman of the Health and Education standing committees of the Corporation, said the turnaround in results could be attributed to the ‘special coaching’ provided to the students by the Corporation officials for nearly four months. “The special coaching, complete with food, was provided to the students in association with the Parent-Teachers Associations’ of the individual schools,” he said.

Earlier, announcing the results, Mr. Baby dismissed criticism that a higher pass percentage would lead to deterioration in the academic quality of the students. “On the contrary, the total number of students who have secured A+ grade has increased this year,” he said.

Mr. Baby said the public should change its attitude towards candidates passing out of government schools. “There is an entrenched notion among the public that a certain number of candidates coming from government schools should invariably fail, irrespective of their academic merits. But we do not have any problem with candidates belonging to the CBSE stream securing above 90 per cent results. This attitude should change,” he said.

He also urged the students to take the results with equanimity and sportsman spirit. “The SSLC examination is not the end of the world,” he said.

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