Record pass rate in SSC, equivalent exams

The results of Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examinations - 2011 were published Thursday with a record pass rate of 82.31 per cent which is 2.33 per cent higher than that of the last year. Some 1,075,886 students passed the SSC and equivalent examinations under 10 education boards across the country this year with a total number of 76,749 students receiving the highest score of GPA-5 (grade point average). Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid announced the results at a press conference at the ministry conference room Thursday noon after handing over copies of the result sheets to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her office. This year some 62,788 students got GPA-5 under eight education boards and the number is 654 more than that of the previous year. As many as 12,756 students got GPA-5 under the madrasa board and 1,205 students under the technical education board. The pass rate is 84.63 per cent in Dhaka Board, 78.27 per cent in Chittagong, 85.85 per cent in Comilla, 77.48 per cent in Dinajpur, 84.04 per cent in Jessore, 78.30 per cent in Barisal, 80.32 per cent in Rajshahi, 81.23 per cent in Sylhet, 83.23 per cent in madrasa and 81.37 per cent in technical education boards. A total of 1,307,155 examinees sat for the SSC and equivalent examinations under 10 education boards this year, some 106,180 candidates more compared to the previous year. The number of institutions having zero pass rate has also dropped this year to 28 from 49 last year. The eight foreign centres combined achieved a pass rate of 98.78 per cent as 243 examinees out of 246 came out successful, with 59 students achieving the maximum GPA. The results are available with the educational institutions and at website www.educationboardresults.gov.bd. Mr Nahid expressed satisfaction and pleasure over the results of the second largest public examinations. He, however, said, "We are observing the madrasa board's results as it secured less GPA-5."