Flattering plus one performance fails to deceive officials, teachers

Tiruchi district has recorded 95.4 per cent overall pass in the Plus One common examinations.

In all probability, most of the remaining students will also get through by virtue of the system of instant examination in place. Only negligible number of students who score miniscule marks even in the instant examination will be detained, Chief Educational Officer K. Selvakumar said.

The plus one overall result, official sources admitted, has always been over 90 per cent, since the school committees or examination staff councils enjoy the discretion of fixing the minimum pass marks. Teachers are understandably not happy with the examination system at the level of plus one, though common question papers are being set.

The wide discrepancies in the fixation of passing minimum are too apparent. School education department officials acknowledged that there are numerous instances of schools fixing ridiculously low percentage, sometimes even below 20 per cent. That explains the variation between the pass percentage in Plus One and Plus Two every year, explained a school head, adding that on the other hand, students slightly above the average level are detained by certain schools that look for cent per cent results in Plus Two.

Post-graduate teachers are disgusted with the system since they are encouraged to ensure cent per cent pass in Plus One by boosting marks for undeserving students, but are penalised when their performance is low in Plus Two.

Principals of matriculation schools opine that the system requires a revamp, and admit that they are unable to convince the students about the importance of Plus One.

A majority of students appear for the examination just for name sake; they tend to think devoting attention for studying plus one contents is a waste of time, and focus on Plus Two portions for at least five to six months in the first year of higher secondary, lamented a principal of a front-ranking matriculation school.

His suggestion was that the entire higher secondary must be split into four semesters and the consolidated marks should be considered for admission to higher education programmes.