Dakshina Kannada has improved its position in the SSLC examination this year by scaling to the eighth rank with a pass percentage of 89.35 per cent, from 29th rank last year.
Efforts put in to improve performance on slow learners in the district have shown the results. The district was in the 26th position in the State in 2013 and seventh in 2012.
Teachers in the district, which is known as a hub of education, were concerned to see a reduction in the number of students clearing SSLC exam in the last two years. More efforts were necessary to improve the results as this was the first examination under new syllabus, which is similar to the Central Board of Secondary Education syllabus. It was also from this year that the Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation came into effect.
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The work towards improving the performance of students started with a workshop held for teachers in April last year in Mathematics, which, in the new form, looked tough.
Block Education Officer from Puttur G.S. Shashidhar brought together a team of teachers and subject experts to launch the initiative ‘Mission 95 +’, an initiative to improve performance of students, more so the slow learners. Starting from preparation of books subject-wise focussed on important topics, the mission involved conducting special classes for slow learners and monitoring their preparation in their houses.
Teachers from private and aided schools, elected representatives were involved in the exercise. Similar initiatives were then taken up in Bantwal, Belthangady, Sullia, Mangaluru North and Mangaluru South blocks.
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In addition, was another initiative by then Chief Executive Officer Zilla Panchayat Tulasi Maddineni to make students of class 8 and 10 of government school write the National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship scheme and the National Talent Search Examinations held last year. It was for the first time such a large number of students wrote the two examinations. “You will definitely find the results of this initiative in the class 10 examination,” Ms. Maddineni had told The Hindu .
Though the district was expected to take the fifth place, Deputy Director of Public Instruction Walter D’Mello said he was happy with the results. “Joint efforts put in by teachers, school managements and our block education officers have paid off,” he said.
B. Sarvottam, headmaster of Panchalingeshwara High School, Eshamangala, Puttur, who was involved in ‘Mission 95 +’, said that the success of the initiative has inspired them to work towards topping the table in the next year.
Udupi is No. 1
Meanwhile, Udupi district, which occupied the 16th place last year, has leaped to the top this year, up from 85.36 per cent to 93.37 per cent.
Traditionally, for a district that has done well, slumping down to 16th place was a shock last year for the department, which came up with a clear-cut strategy at the beginning of the academic year to overcome it.
Accordingly, the department called for a meeting of headmasters and teachers and had a brain-storming session with them and chalked out an action plan, which was implemented right away, said Diwaker Shetty, Deputy Director of Public Instruction.
Special focus was on students in rural areas, who were seen to be spending too much time watching television, he said.
Udupi leads the State with a pass percentage of 93.37 per cent
Dakshina Kannada registers pass percentage of 89.35 per cent