SSLC exam results date announced; a record number of students were absent

The Karnataka Education Board has set the SSLC examination results for May 12Meanwhile, students went for a mass bunk, with this year's SSLC exams seeing record absenteeism

After having set out the answer booklet for this year's Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) examinations, the results date has been set by the Higher Education Board for next month.

The Karnataka Education Board has set the SSLC examination results for May 12. Meanwhile, students went for mass bunk, with this year's SSLC exams seeing record absenteeism. (HT PHOTO)

After releasing the answer key on April 12, the board said evaluation of the papers will take till April 21 and the results will most likely be announced on May 12.

This year's SSLC exams, which started on March 28 were largely eventless, except for the initial few incidents wherein students were refused entry into the examination halls for wearing Hijab.

However, alarmingly, this year's exams saw a record number of absent students. Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board (KSEEB) data reportedly showed that at least 15,487 students remained absent for the 2022 SSLC exams. While a loss of nerve and the bunking spree among students is considered to be the main cause for the record absenteeism, a report said officials attributed it to more candidates registering under the private category.

Reports said nearly 8.2 lakh students registered this year after the previous batch's formal exams were waived off and all students were “passed” to Pre-University-1 as the pandemic dented the academic year. However, some of these registered students are said to have skipped due to fear of failure as the question paper had regular questions and not multiple-choice questions (MCQs) like last year. It is also being speculated that the hijab ban may have also contributed to the list of absentees.

KSEEB officials were quoted saying, students have gone for a mass bunk this year as the state government did not offer the “pass every student” rule as it did last year. Many registered students are said to lose their nerve and skipped their exams after learning that the same concession will not be extended by the state government this year.

However, The New Indian Express reported that most of the students who had much lesser attendance than that had preferred to bunk the exams too.

Post-pandemic, the 2020-21 SSLC exams saw 7.8 lakh registered students, while absent students constituted 3,249, and 99.58% of students took their exams. In comparison, the 2022 SSLC exams saw 15,487 absentees, while only 98.11% of students attended their exams, The New Indian Express quoted KSEEB officials as saying.