How many failed Class 9, asks Archdiocesan board

The Archdiocesan Board of Education (ABE), which runs 74 schools in the city, will send a circular to all its affiliated schools to collect data on the number of students who failed in Class 9.

The Archdiocesan Board of Education (ABE), which runs 74 schools in the city, will send a circular to all its affiliated schools to collect data on the number of students who failed in Class 9.

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The circular will be sent next week and all the schools will have to reply within 10 days.

The ABE's move is prompted by a complaint filed by parents against Antonio De Souza High School in Byculla, which has allegedly failed more than 150 Class 9 students out of a batch of 300 this year.

Parents filed the complaint with the city education department saying that the school failed students to ensure a good pass percentage in the Class 10 board exams.

The ABE governs the Antonio De Souza School. "Teachers could take up remedial teaching for students, who are weak in studies. That could help reduce the failure rate in school," said Father Gregory Lobo who heads ABE.

Father Lobo blamed the Right to Education (RTE) Act, which provides that no student can be failed till Class 8, for falling student standards.

Apart from the no-fail policy, principals also said that passing in Class 9 has become difficult for students as they have to score a minimum of 25% in maths and science theory papers. Two years ago, students could rely on the aggregate marks of orals and practicals as well.

The education inspector of south zone said it would set a committee to look into the complaint once the principal of the school, Father Denzil Fernandes, came back from his vacation.

The complaint has also prompted the education department to collect data on failure rates in Class 9. Education inspectors of south, west and north zones, Thane and Navi Mumbai will collect the data on pass percentage of Class 8, 9, and 10.

The data will be then be submitted to the state education department. While the Class 8 and Class 9 data will be compiled in 15 days, Class 10 data will be compiled after the Class 10 board exam results will be out in May.