Steps being taken to improve SSLC results in DK

Quick post mortem identifies problems for poor performance

The Department of Public Instructions has made a quick post-mortem to find out the  reasons for sharp decline in SSLC results in 2012-13 that led Dakshina Kannada district to slip to 26th position in the State from the seventh position previous year.

 
Many eyebrows were raised over poor results.

The post mortem is expected to help the department to take corrective measures in the coming academic year. As an immediate step, the district has forwarded a request letter to the Commissioner of Public Instructions, listing out things that needs to be done to improve the results.

The letter, which was drafted after a meeting of the officials to introspect the reasons for the poor results, has appealed to the government to fill up vacant posts in high schools, appoint guest lecturers in the beginning of the academic year and complete the teachers training by November for achieving better results in the coming academic year. In the officers meeting, it was largely felt that the reason for the poor performance was the vacant posts of teachers, sources said.

 As many as171 subject teachers and 69  head teachers posts are vacant.

Appoint guest teachers

The Department has requested the government to appoint guest teachers at the earliest as there was inordinate delay in the appointment of teachers and the recruitment process of the head teachers too was abruptly stopped during the last academic year.

The officials are of the opinion that delay in the appointment of guest teachers in November, when half of the academic year was completed, was one of the major reasons for the decline in SSLC results.

Hence, the Department has requested the authorities to appoint guest teachers in June, when the schools re-open, so as to avoid extra burden on regular teachers.
Another reason for the poor results is said to be the 20-day training programme to teachers in cluster and block levels. This, many feel, forces teachers to stay away from schools, especially when they are in a hurry to complete the syllabus. Taking note of this, the Department has sought the authorities to conduct the training between June and November to ensure that teachers do not miss the classes in the second term.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer Dr K N Vijayaprakash said that apart from placing certain demands, the Department of Public Instructions has also been asked to take up a few measures to improve the results.

 It includes preparing model question papers for the entire district and conduct the examinations regularly, organising workshops for the head teachers and teachers of those schools that have performed poorly and imparting special training to poor performers starting from eighth standard. “I have already written letters to all the head teachers of government schools giving them a few instructions to improve results and  5,148 failed students in  the district to boost their morale,” the Chief Executive Officer said.

Decline in percentage

The district which rose to the seventh position in 2011-12 as against 21st position in 2010-11, with 85.24 pass percentage, slipped to 26th position with 78.77 pass percentage this year. Poor performance of the government schools has directly impacted the overall results. If the unaided schools have registered pass percentage of 93.63, government aided schools have registered 85.84 pass per cent and the government schools in the district have registered only 71.09 pass percentage.