Success in public exams: What next?

The jubilation that follows publication of the two important public examinations was there alright this time as well. But still, at the back of mind, there was a subtle sense of missing something. The fact that exams were held for only three optional subjects and that too on a curtailed syllabus is not particularly desirable when the issue of concern is the last public examination before entering higher education. However, it was an option better than no examination at all and an evaluation of students' performance on the basis of past records and assignments. A shortened syllabus for just three subjects gives examinees some extra mileage for getting better prepared and scoring higher marks. This is certainly reflected in this year's Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations. The average pass rate of 95.26 per cent for the HSC and equivalent examinations published on Sunday last bears testimony to this, although it is quite relishing.

The previous batch of successful HSC examinees who recently appeared for admission tests of medical colleges and universities without sitting for their scheduled public examination on account of the pandemic did not do much worse than their counterparts of the normal time. The 10.76 per cent pass in the latest 'Ka' Unit entry exam of Dhaka University is acceptable given that the rates of the past several years have varied between 10 and 15 per cent. This can, however, give an exaggerated sense of assurance. The admission test and the examination on a brief syllabus, with each of the three subjects carrying only half the mark, are in a way similar. Actually the problem is deep-rooted. The current education system is known for favouring higher scores at the expense of learning a subject well and exploring the contents with a probing mind. This is essential for pursuing higher studies. The curtailed syllabus narrowed the scope for learning in-depth even further. That indeed is a cause for concern.

So the more important question is, if students of the SSC and HSC batches whose learning suffered greatly during the pandemic can make up for the loss of education. Extraordinarily meritorious students will face no problem because their range of study does not confine to the syllabus alone and their inquisitive minds push them ahead to break the boundaries all the time. It is for the average and below standard students who will get relegated as a lost generation. Without initiatives, no one can prosper in life and those who have become a victim of a most hostile time need far greater endeavour to shine either in profession or in life.

The fact that girls have outshined boys both in terms of pass rates and grade point average (GPA)-5, once again highlights that concentration matters. The difference of 2.35 percentage points between the pass rates of boys (94.14) and girls (96.49) may not be big but considering the socio-cultural constraints facing the latter, their emergence only points to a greater seriousness with which they treat education. It has not been any different at this most unusual time and in a stifling environment all around. To call this a triumph of women power would be simplistic but if girls become better educated, the future of the nation is guaranteed to be secured. They will be well prepared to guide the generations to come.