Chikkaballapur plummets to 31st rank in SSLC results

The performance of the district in SSLC examination has been heading downwards - so much so that its ranking has come down by 18 places in the last two years. This time, its ranking has plummeted to 31 from 13 in the year 2015-16.

A cursory look at the SSLC results over the past decade shows that district stood 14 in the state with a pass percentage of 79 during 2006-07. Eight years later, in 2015-16, it secured 13th rank only to slip by 15 ranks next year. Now, this year, it is almost at the bottom of the rank list.

Following the dismal performance last year, the deputy director of the department had promised to hold a meeting of all block education officers to identify the reasons for decline in the performance. He had also said that steps would be taken to improve the performance this year after an introspection.

However, this year's results show that there had been no such introspection as stated. The parents, who are already drawn towards private schools are worried over the poor record of government schools in SSLC examination.

"I feel very pained at the poor performance. The government schools lack proper leadership. In private schools, the staff are always under the fear that they would be pulled up for poor results but it is not so in case of government schools. The head masters and assistant teachers should discharge their duties with commitment," said education expert Prof Kodi Rangappa.

He said that teachers need to introspect given the fact that a majority of the students in government schools hail from poor families. "Increasing performance is not a daunting task nowadays. You only have to chalk out and implement suitable plans to meet the target. Instead of awakening in the last two months of the academic year, foundation for good result should be laid from the first day of the academic year," he suggested.

Activist Prof B Gangadharamurthy blamed the district administration for the poor performance. "Of course, teachers too are also liable. The students of today are not fools. We have problem with teaching. The main reason is that our teachers are doing everything else except teaching. Certainly, there is no introspection in the education department," he said.

The district administration should make a study to check the subject or subjects in which students are failing in large number. Camps and special classes should be held to improve the performance of weak students. A convention of the parents and teachers should be held in every taluks. "I have been suggesting these measures for the past three years and unfortunately no one has taken it seriously," he lamented.

Zilla Panchayat president H V Manjunath said that he was very sad with the SSLC results this time. He said a committee will be constituted on priority basis soon after elections to chalk out measures for improving the result.

Kolar, which stood in 21st place galloped to seven rank during 2015-16. The change this time is just one place. The achievement should be emulated in Chikkaballapur also, people say.