E-Paper
MP board 10th Result 2019: 40% fail in Class 10 board, election duty blamed
Compared to last year there was a decrease by 5 % in the pass percentage. It was 66.54 % in 2018 and this year it was 61.32 %. That the slide took place despite best of five rule, under which students need to clear only five exam out of six, has rattled the Madhya Pradesh Board of Secondary Education (MPBSE) and school education department.
Alarmed that nearly 40 per cent of the 3.87 lakh students had failed in the Class 10 MP Board exams, the authorities are mulling a drastic course correction, but are also blaming the fact that most teachers could not devote sufficient time in teaching due to Assembly and Lok Sabha poll duties.
Compared to last year there was a decrease by 5 % in the pass percentage. It was 66.54 % in 2018 and this year it was 61.32 %. That the slide took place despite best of five rule, under which students need to clear only five exam out of six, has rattled the Madhya Pradesh Board of Secondary Education (MPBSE) and school education department.
“From July 2018, 80% teachers were appointed as booth level officer (BLO) for revision of the voters’ list. Later in November, they got busy in conducting election. After election again in January, they were appointed as BLO for voters’ list revision for Lok Sabha. Teachers couldn’t pay any attention on students due to poll duties and that is reflecting in the result,” an officer of school education department.
In the last two days, the authorities are in a huddle to find ways to improve the percentage. According to MPBSE secretary Ajay Gangwar, “The pattern of the exam will be more like CBSE with more objective type questions. Work is going on in developing sample question papers. We will distribute it among the schools to make students aware about the pattern.”
Another board official said that they would publicise the ‘Ruk Jana Nahin’ scheme which aims at ensuring the students who have failed do not lose a year. Under the scheme, the students sit for exams (in the subjects they have failed) under the Madhya Pradesh state open school board and the marks of the MP board and open school board are added.
Another thrust area was improving the standard of teaching by organizing regular teacher’s training through refresher course and also to ensure that teachers are not engaged in election duty unnecessarily.
“Most teachers are not motivated and their method of teaching is outdated, they need effective refresher courses. We have spent over Rs 40 cr in refresher courses last year, but the results are not there,” the official said.
But Gangwar said the main problem was election duty thrust upon the teachers. “MP has already facing crises of teachers and most of the teachers were engaged in the election duties. They couldn’t concentrate on enhancing the performance of weak students.”
MP Teachers Association general secretary Ashutosh Pandey said, “Teachers should be freed from other activities. Not only election duties but they are also deputed so many official work. The absence of teachers in the class room is responsible for the poor performance of students.”
