The district has improved in the results in the Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) examination conducted by the Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board (KSEEB). The district has moved up ten places from 21st to 11th.

M S Yashas of Sadvidya High School emerged as one of the state toppers by securing centum (625/625) in the results announced on Monday. 

In order to improve the pass percentage, the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) had introduced several programmes. The overall performance of SSLC students in the district has improved drastically compared to previous years. In 2016-17, the passing percentage was 72.29% and this year (2017-18), it is 82.9%. 

The department had identified low-performance students in government schools and had offered them, special classes. Besides, the department also provided workbooks and also conducted preparatory examinations for the students.

Toppers speak

While M S Yashas has secured centum, Adithi A Rao and R Keerthana from Sadvidya High School have secured 624 out of 625, Shivani M Bhat of Marimallappa’s High School has secured 624 marks. Spandana Dev of St Thomas High School and K R Srinandini of VVS Pandit Nehru High School have scored 623.

Yashas, son of Shivamallappa and Chandrakala, said that he wants to be an Aerospace Engineer. “I studied like others do, but, I would listen to teachers attentively and used to revise everything after the classes,” he said.

Keerthana, daughter of late Raghavendra Rao and A Rekashri, a second division assistant at Mandya Taluk Panchayat, said that she did not expect the marks, but, she was hopeful of emerging as one of the state toppers. “I had not worked as per the timetable. But, I used to fix daily targets,” says Keerthana. Inspired by former President A P J Abdul Kalam, Keerthana wants to become an Aerospace Engineer.

Keerthana thanked her mother, grandparents Nagarathnamma and Ananthaiah and the teachers for their support. She said as the school conducted four preparatory examinations, she could do well in the examination.

Adithi A Rao, daughter of Ashok Rao and Asha A Rao, is from Chitpadi in Udupi district. Her father is a senior manager in a private company and mother is an employee of Karnataka Bank. Adithi said that she wants to pursue medicine and is preparing for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). “I used to spend four to five hours a day on studies,” she said.

Her grandfather K S Prabhakar is a former headmaster of Sadvidya High School.