Result vs. Teachers

 The results of the High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) examination 2024 of the Assam Board of Secondary Education (SEBA) declared on Saturday have brought to the fore certain very significant issues concerning the overall education scenario of the state. The majority of people are rejoicing over the fact that the overall pass percentage this year (75.7%) has registered a significant increase in comparison to the previous year (72.6). But the reality is that 24.3 percent of the candidates have failed. In absolute terms, altogether 1,01,761 candidates out of 4,19,078 candidates who sat for the examination have failed. This is a huge figure, and instead of asking the toppers how they have managed to score high marks, the question everyone should be asking is: How did over one lakh candidates fail? According to figures released by SEBA, the percentage of unsuccessful candidates among female candidates is much higher than that of unsuccessful male students. In absolute terms, though more female students (2,31,164) appeared in the examination, as many as 59,118 of them have failed. In contrast, out of 1,87,904 male candidates, those who have become unsuccessful stand at 42,641. What is also important to note is that female candidates who had sat for the examination outnumbered the male candidates; there were 43,260 more girls than boys this time. While the projected sex ratio of Assam in 2024 stands at 958, ideally the percentage of female candidates should have been a little less than fifty percent of the total. Given this situation, several questions can be raised. Why have over one lakh candidates failed? Are the teachers responsible for this? Are teachers lacking in teaching skills? What percentage of teachers in high schools are untrained and thus unfit for the job? If so, what action can be taken against them? Why was the number of female candidates higher than that of male candidates? Why have more female candidates failed?