HSC pass rate falls by 4.5pc

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CHEERS AND TEARS: Reactions of HSC examinees of Viqarunnisa Noon School in the city after publication of results Saturday: One student (from left) sharing her success through cellphone, some celebrating in rapture, and another grief-stricken for not obtai

DU Correspondent
The results of Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC), HSC Business Management and Alim examinations-2009 were published Saturday showing 72.78 per cent students coming out successful and 20,136 of them scoring GPA-5.
However, both the pass percentage and the number of GPA-5 scorers have fallen this year compared to that of the last year. The pass rate has declined by around 4.5 per cent and the number of GPA-5 scorers by 1909. Last year 76.19 per cent students passed the HSC and equivalent examinations and 22,045 of them obtained GPA-5.
A total of 4,42,389 examinees out of 6,07,872 have passed the examinations this year. Of the successful students, 2,45,588 are male and 1,96,801 female.
Some 3,44,485 candidates, out of 4,49,102 have passed the HSC examination under the eight general education boards with a pass percentage of 70.43 against 74.85 per cent in 2008. The pass rate has declined by around 6 per cent in the HSC examination compared to that of the last year.
Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid Saturday presented the results in detail before journalists at a press briefing at his office where Education Secretary Syed Ataur Rahman and chairmen of the education boards were present.
Earlier, they formally handed over the results to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her office in the city at noon.
About the fall in pass rate, the education minister said the HSC batch, which achieved a 58.36 per cent pass in the 2007 SSC examination, has fared better in the HSC examination-2009.
"Every student has to pass the examination. "We don't want to see any student fail in the examination. We want a hundred per cent pass percentage in all institutions. Failure in the exams will be an unusual matter in future," he said.
In reply to a query, Nahid said the monthly pay order (MPO) of 41 institutions, from which not a single student has passed, would remain suspended until they improve their results.
"It is a big problem that the HSC passing students are to wait for a year to get admitted to universities after the publication of their results. We will talk to the university vice-chancellors to shorten the period of waiting for their admission," the minister said in reply to another query.
Of the eight general education boards, Jessore Board has topped the place in terms of pass-rate with 78.77 per cent students passing. Chittagong Board is in second position with 76.31 per cent students coming out successful and Sylhet Board in third position with 73.96 per cent students figuring well.
Dhaka Board has become fourth with 71.53 per cent students passing while Rajshahi Board is in fifth position with 70.47 per cent, Barisal Board in sixth position with 67.20 per cent, Comilla Board in seventh position with 66.99 per cent and Dinajpur Board in eighth position with 55.90 per cent students passing.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Madrasah Education Board has topped the list of all other boards in terms of pass percentage with 84.14 per cent students passing against 82.43 per cent last year. A total of 49,626 students out of 58,978 have passed the Alim examination.
A total of 59,792 students appeared at the examination under the Technical Education Board. Of them, 48,278 examinees have come out successful making the pass-rate 80.74 against 81.27 per cent of the last year.
A total of 18,222 examinees have obtained GPA-5 under the eight general education boards this year against 19,108 of the last year. Of them, 9,450 are under Dhaka Board, 2,229 under Rajshahi Board, 601 under Comilla Board, 2,093 under Jessore Board, 1,448 under Chittagong Board, 574 under Barisal Board, 439 under Sylhet Board and 1,388 under Dinajpur Board.
A total of 1,894 students have secured GPA-5 under the Madrasah Board against 2,886 of the last year and 20 under the Technical Education Board against 51 of the last year.
Some 170 students appeared at the HSC examination from five overseas centres. Of them, 160 examinees have come out successful making a pass-rate of 94.12 per cent. A total of 664 examinees were expelled in the HSC, HSC Business Management and Alim Examinations-2009 against 785 in 2008.