SLC RESULTS
Slight Improvement
This year, the pass percentage of SLC increases slightly
By SANJAYA DHAKAL
The annual School Leaving Certificate (SLC) exams are known more for dismal performances by students than anything else. On average, around one-third of students who appear for the test can actually pass.
This year a slight improvement was seen in the pass percentage. Of the total 225,032 regular examinees who appeared for the annual nation-wide test this year, 46.51 percent have passed. This is 7.79 percent more than the pass percentage last year when only 38.72 percent examinees had passed. This year, 4000 students passed with distinction marks; 41,983 secured first division; 53,777 secured second division; and 4894 secured third division marks.
Likewise, among the exempted group, out of total examinees of 69,184, around 12 percent passed including 54 in first division, 5686 in second division and 2626 in third division.
Even as the government gives highest priority to the education sector and sets aside 15 percent of the total annual budget for the sector, the results are very disappointing. Particularly, in the public education sector, the results are quite dismal, indeed.
Over 80 percent of the students who have passed come from private schools. And they are ones who secure high marks. The poor base of learning for students of public schools, lack of family environment for learning, lack of motivation of teachers, effect of conflict, alarmingly low class days are some of the reasons for the bad results by public schools.
As education experts point out, there are a number of disadvantageous factors that work against public schools. The time-on-task is high in private schools for both students and teachers; they provide proper learning environment and engage the students; they have frequent testing and screening mechanism; they make available additional learning resources, they have professional human resource; they build practice of homework; they have strong administrative management; their parental involvement is high; their students enjoy proper learning environment in their families; they can select best students and remove under-performers; and the students of private schools get 13 years of education including pre-primary level when they appear for SLC, list experts.
Besides, students of public schools are the First Generation of Schoolers – meaning their parents have had no education. Typically, the first generation of schoolers are always under-performers.
There is a big gap in the investment as well. Even now the investment per child per year stands at Rs 1800-2200 for secondary level students in public schools compared to Rs 12,000 in private schools.
In school levels, rarely any student ‘fails’ in most of the western countries. Even in countries with centralized education system, pass percentage is, on average, 60-80 percent.
At present, the government gives heavy emphasis on Basic and Primary education – for which 55-60 percent of total budget on education is spent. It is still not clear how much share will be given to technical/vocational; secondary and higher education. The overall literacy rate in Nepal stands at around 55 percent at present. The access to basic and primary education has expanded to include 80-84 percent of kids.
This year, the Office of the Controller of Examination (OCE) did not publish the list of top boy and girl students. Chief of OCE Gajendra Lal Pradhan informed that the tradition of publishing the name of topmost students was broken in order to stop ‘unhealthy competition.’ “There is no such tradition in Higher Secondary Board exams, or other exams by Tribhuwan University and so on. Therefore, we have also decided to stop this practice,” Pradhan said.
Although his arguments may be justified, it could be better justified had the OCE adopted letter-based grading system then. Instead of continuing with the existing number-based grading system, the OCE could opt for letter-based grading system, which is being regarded around the world as more scientifi
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