A phone call at 5 a.m. from teachers, school juniors keeping an eye on the students, and students heading to their desks even on Sundays.
These are some of the measures adopted by the government high schools to put children through a stringent academic routine before the forthcoming SSLC examination.
With the SSLC examination to begin in a fortnight, government high schools have come up with such novel ideas to improve the pass percentage of their respective schools.
Suchetha S.S., a mathematics teacher from Thyamagondlu in Nelamangala taluk of Bengaluru (Rural) district said that a Class 9 student is “tagged” along a Class 10 student to monitor his or her progress.
“Each Class 9 student has been asked to maintain a diary to keep a check on what the Class 10 student is studying … what the atmosphere at his or her home is… if an intervention is required, then we (teachers) step in,” she added.
At the beginning of the academic year, each teacher “adopts” 10-15 Class 10 students and is responsible for their academic progress, Ms. Suchetha said.
The school, which recorded a pass percentage of 98.7 in last year’s SSLC examination, is hoping to secure cent per cent results this year. M.J. Avadhani, headmaster of Government High School, Domlur in the city, said that their Class 10 students receive a wake up call between 4.30 a.m. and 5 a.m. daily.
“We also make students study in the school as the atmosphere at their home may not be conducive enough to study. A majority of our students come from the low socio-economic status and often academics is not high on the parents’ priority list,” he said.
Parents are sent a voice message once a week asking them to encourage their child to devote time to studies, he added.
Philomena Lobo, Director (Secondary Education), Department of Public Instruction, said that a few schools also provide food to their Class 10 students to ensure that they remain in the schools for longer hours.
“Teachers themselves are motivated … each school wants to secure a high pass percentage in the SSLC examination,” she said.
36 schools under the scanner
Thirty six schools, which posted zero pass percentage in the last year’s SSLC examination, are under the scanner. The Department of Public Instruction had issued a notice asking the schools to shutdown.
However, the department did not initiate any action against them.
“We have issued a warning to the schools. The schools have been informed that action would initiated against them if they repeat their performance,” a senior official of the department said. This year’s SSLC examination will begin on March 30 and conclude on April 13.
