JEE (Mains) halts Bihar top school’s dream run
With just seven students crossing the low cut off in the preliminary examination for entrance to IITs, the school seems to have drifted away from its basic goal.
The class 10 and 12 board examinations of the Bihar school examination board (BSEB) are over, but the results will be a test for Bihar’s dream school, Simultala Awasiya Vidyalay (SAV) modelled on the famous Netarhat school.
In its debut class 10 board exams in 2015, 19 students of the school had secured more than 96% - a record since the inception of the Bihar board in 1952 – while 70 students had secured between 90% to 96%.
However, despite a lot of expectations, the institution, still struggling to maintain basics, has fumbled at the first brush with national-level competition - JEE (Mains).
Just two students of the school scored 177 and 170 out of 360, compared to JEE (Mains) Bihar topper’s score of 310 and national topper’s amazing 360/360. The rest struggled, with just four candidates able to cross the 100-mark and just seven reaching the cut-off of 81 for general category. None from the school could secure fellowship under the Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana (KVPY).
The school could hold on to just 54 of 116 students in three streams – science, arts and commerce - for higher secondary in 2015. In 2016, despite another brilliant show in class 10 board, the retention fell further to just 46 out of 126 students.
Most of those who left the school after class 10 in 2015 in search of better avenues and pursue coaching, did much better, scoring above 250.
SAV principal Rajiv Ranjan said there were myriad reasons behind the average show, but unfortunately they had remained unaddressed.
“Imagine, we don’t even have regular teachers for biology and chemistry. We have to manage with guest teachers or ad hoc appointments. Even after seven years, the school lacks basic facilities. The school does not even have its own building or proper laboratories What is more, there is huge difference in syllabus of CBSE and Bihar board,” he added.
Ranjan said, in an era of coaching – oriented culture, the students look for much more. “Here, the teachers are doing their best, but they lack motivation, as even their service conditions are yet to be decided. They are uncertain about their future and most try to get away. There are six subjects overall in which we don’t have teachers but somehow manage,” he added.
Strangely, the government has also done precious little to set things right despite different committees suggesting concrete measures from time to time.
The school skipped two academic sessions in its six-year journey – 2013-14 & 2015-16. In 2017, it conducted the first of the two tier test for class 7 and 9, along with a test for entrance to class 6 after chief minister Nitish Kumar last year expressed his displeasure over the state of affairs. But due to poor response, the last date for filling up forms had to be extended thrice.
Surprisingly, the session is set to get more delayed this year. While all schools have started their session from April 1, SAV may not be able to start in September-October at the very earliest. After the preliminary test results are out, mains exam will be held, followed by medicals, which may coincide with puja vacations.
”Imagine a Hindi medium student taking admission in class 9 being asked to appear in class 10 board a couple of years later in English medium!,” said Ranjan.
Education minister Dr Ashok Choudhary said the government was alive to the SAV problems and a comprehensive plan would soon be rolled out to make it a truly aspirational institution for the talented students of Bihar.
