Girls out performed boys in the district in all the streams of the State Board class X examination, the results of which were declared on Friday. While the girls' pass percentage was 93, it was 82.86 among the boys. A total of 35,454 students in Chennai appeared for the exam, of whom four got State ranks. The overall pass percentage was 88.21.
In the Matriculation stream, a total of 18,024 students took the exam and the pass percentage was 92.37. The pass percentage of girls was 95.25 and the boys 89.67. A total of 2,301 students appeared in the Anglo Indian stream and the pass percentage was 93.61.
Many of the students in Chennai and the neighbouring districts of Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur fought all odds and evolved their own strategy to prepare for examination. Friday was one busy day in the homes of the toppers. Schools gave them a red carpet welcome and a few schools re-wrote the record with the marks. The students were on top of the world.
Guidance helped
When the State first ranker's mother goes to school, she would have to celebrate her daughter's performance with many of her colleagues. Harini R. of Our Lady's Higher Secondary School, Tiruvottiyur, scored 496 marks with centum in maths and science. “Harini would attempt many sample question papers and I would take them to my colleagues who would correct them,” says S. Malarkodi, her mother, who is a mathematics teacher at a government school.
Hard work, support from teachers and the help from private coaching centre helped V. Seenirathi of Government HSS., Kavaraipettai, secure 495 marks. “I want to pursue medicine,” was the spontaneous reply of the state second rank holder when asked what she wants to become.
“Our inability to complete high school because of financial problems made us take a vow that our children should be well qualified,” said Vellaisamy, Seenirathi's father, who runs a sweet stall.
S.Ayyappan's, state third rank in SSLC stream, mother was at work as a domestic help when the news surprised her. The student of PAK Palanisamy HSS in north Chennai lost his father when he was five years old. Since then his uncle K. Jayaraman, father of four, has been bringing up Ayyappan and his two siblings. “When I told him that capitation fee would run into several lakh to get into medicine, Ayyappan assured me that he will get the medical seat on merit,” said Mr. Jayaraman, who works as daily wage labourer.
His classmates Damodharan J., Saravana Kumar S. and Mohan Kumar G. names also figure among the district rankers.
V. Rajeswari, the state second rank holder in the Anglo Indian stream with 483 marks, knows it is hard work and luck that favoured her as she always had a tough competition with six of her classmates. “May be it was my presentation where I scored more marks. There is never a scratch mark on my answer script,” says the student of Holy Angels Anglo Indian HSS, T. Nagar. She says that she would never do last minute writing and would reserve one hour for long answer. “That's where we generally lose marks,” she adds.
Sushmitha R. of Bentinck Girls HSS, Vepery owes it to her systematic planning. “I would draw a time table to be followed for a day and week. This I did for one full year,” said Sushmitha, who scored 495 and is the state second rank holder in SSLC stream.
Aarthi R. of Zion Matriculation HSS (state second rank with 492 marks) and Nivedha S. of DAV Matriculation HSS, Choolaimedu, (state third rank with 491 marks) said cutting down on watching television was the biggest sacrifice they made. Second rankers such as Aishwarya R. of Gill Adarsh Matriculation HSS (492 marks) and Fairoze Naghath J. of Velammal Matriculation HSS, Mogappair (492 marks) credit the school for the coaching as they did not go for any private tuitions.
Other state third rankers from the city are Ishwarya K. and Saranya V. of SBOA Matriculation HSS, both with 491 marks. In the O.S.L.C. stream, students from Sri Ahobila Math Oriental HSS – Kowsalya S. (475), Vasuki S.A. (475) and Bhaskar R. (471) dominated the rank list.
