Thoughts on SSC exam results

The SSC and equivalent examination results of 2016 were published on May 11 with a success rate of 88.29 per cent. This is slightly higher by 1.25 per cent than that of the last year. 11.71 per cent students could not come out successful. The Prime Minister rightly said, "We are giving books to the students on the first day of the year, we are giving stipends to the girl students. So, there is no meaning that they will fail. If they had been sincere enough in learning their studies, they would not fail." Not a single student from 53 institutions came out successful which must be a great concern for us. Last year this number was 47. Every year it happens that not a single student passes from around 50 schools. These schools have teachers, students, educational materials, infrastructure, school committees but none of the students comes out successful. It calls for a serious research. We just see that the government tells us to take some punitive measures against these institutions. We hardly look into the matter with due seriousness. The whole education department must know the reasons and what measures to be taken to address the issues so that next year the same story does not repeat. It calls for intensive research to find out the causes and let the nation know. We have researchers, money, and intention. So why don't we conduct research?
The disparity in terms of standards between educational institutions in urban and rural areas has been a hard reality. We know that a rural school cannot be transformed into Viqarunissa or Ideal School of Dhaka city immediately. But some measures can be taken such as exchange of teachers for several months of the year. The urban teachers of better schools will work for several months in rural schools and rural school teachers may work for the same amount of time in urban schools. It will create an even turf to some extent and the rural teachers will take serious preparation to conduct classes in urban schools. Ultimately, their personal development will take place. The urban teachers will see the practical situation of the country and widen their horizon of work and they will be induced to conduct research on various issues which they don't do now. They just remain confined to their own classes and students and extra coaching for extra money. As a result, their vision is getting short-sighted which goes beyond the real spirit of education. If this exchange is ensured one kind of friendship will develop and the gap between towns and village people, students and life will become narrower. Urban educational institutions mainly march forward in the race of providing quality education. But rural areas where most of the students live do not have good educational institutions. This is a clear indication of the absence of equal facilities in the educational arena which we must try to address in the real sense of the term.
This year, a total of 1,651,523 students took part in the SSC examinations in 3,143 centres. Beginning on February 1, the written examinations ended on March 8 while the practical tests were held from March 9 to March 14. The results have been published in 57 days, though it was supposed to do it in 60 days. In one sense, it calls for credit but in another sense a question arises as to 'whether the scripts are examined properly nor not.' A large number of students are waiting to reexamine their scripts. This fact reminds us of the doubt whether the scripts were checked as desired.  The female students have marked slight edge over their male counterparts in terms of pass rate in this year's examinations. The pass rate of female students is 0.19 per cent higher than the male students. A total of 710,808 female students passed the examinations with 88.39 per cent success rate this year while the number of successful male students is 741,797 with 88.20 per cent pass rate. Some 109,761 students achieved GPA-5 this year. This tells some positive aspects of the result. But we have the questions as to swhether students can transfer their achieved skills in their practical life.
Time has come again to draw our thoughtful attention to the fact that our highest graders opt for getting only 80 marks out of 100. Surely we have many students who could obtain 99 or 100 marks in many subjects. The existing situation does not allow them to think of or trying to get 90 or more than 90 per cent marks which does not add any value or credit to their results. So, we are making them reluctant and limiting their original ability. How far is it reasonable?
Again, more than one lakh (a hundred thousand) students think they belong to the same category but the last student or several hundred students from the bottom of this group, when they fail to get themselves enrolled in their desired institutions, thinks that they stand far apart from the first several thousand students of the same group. All the GPA-5 holders cannot make room in the next higher educational institutions or show the equal success in their subsequent life. So, naturally some sort of depression grips them and they are confused about whether their grading is okay or not as other GPA-5 holders get opportunities of enrolment in better colleges and find enviable positions in their later life. But our assessment does not make any difference between the topscoring students and others who also score GPA-5. So, this situation reminds us that another two grades should be developed. One for those who obtain marks from 80-90 per cent and another one for those who get 90-100 per cent marks. If things are not done accordingly, our meritorious students will withdraw themselves from the race of sound competition which may rather hinder the scope of tapping their hidden potential.  
The writer works for BRAC Education Program as a specialist and writes regularly on various national and international issues.
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