Students who failed in Kerala SSLC exam get free biryani, hotel stay

As 4.19 lakh students who cleared the Kerala SSLC examinations are celebrating their success, the 2,236 students who failed to clear it are also receiving moral backing with some businessmen offering free hotel stay and biriyani.

A campaign for analysis for the reason for the failure of the students is also gaining momentum as many students who failed, despite the very liberal exam policy, were reported to be either hailing from socially weak backgrounds or suffering from learning disabilities. Moreover, many are also expressing concerns over the quality of students who proceed for higher studies.

Kerala government boasts of a record of 99.47 pass per cent in the SSLC examinations of 2021 March that was attended by 4.21 lakh students. The very liberal policy in setting questions and valuation, considering the Covid-19 situation, not only resulted in the record success but also a three-fold increase in the students who got A+ in all subjects. Even then, 0.53% students failed to clear the exam.

It was Kozhikode native Sudheesh, who runs homestays and resorts in popular tourist spot Kodaikanal in Tamil Nadu, who came up with a free stay offer for students who failed in the exams. Subsequently, some others also came up with similar offers. A biriyani shop at Mulanthuruthy near Kochi is offering free 'Kuzhimanthi biriyani' to students who failed to clear the SSLC.

Sudheesh told DH that social media posts by many students celebrating their SSLC victory made him think of the mental condition of those who could not clear it. He also said that among the several calls he received there were students, including girls, who are from weak social and financial backgrounds.

A school teacher in the Alappuzha district said the two students in his school who failed are suffering from learning difficulties. The family backgrounds of many students who failed are also not that conducive for learning, he said.

All India Save Education Committee Kerala secretary M Shajar Khan said that an in-depth analysis to identify the reason for the failure of only a few students despite the too liberal policy in the exams needs to be done. He also expressed concerns over the quality of the students going for higher studies.

Director of General Education in Kerala, Jeevan Babu said that had the pass percentage in Kerala been lower than that of previous years, then also the government would have faced criticism for not being liberal to students even as the normal education was hit due to the pandemic.

"Kerala SSLC students were evaluated at least by conducting the exams, while in many other boards like CBSE and ICSE, the students were evaluated based on previous performance," he said. He also said that there was no suggestion of an all-pass policy for Kerala SSLC. "The government made maximum efforts to ensure that all students got access to online learning," he added.