Chennai: An analysis of plus-1 results has revealed that only around 8,000 students (.94 per cent) out of 8.47 lakh students who have appeared for plus-1 board exams in March 2018 were able to get more than 90 per cent marks prompting the school education department to change its decision including plus-1 marks for higher education.
As many as 3.02 lakh students have scored less than 50 per cent and the number of students who scored less than 50 per cent was 94,500 (11.6 per cent) higher when compared to plus-2 results. The number of students scoring from 81 per cent to 90 per cent marks also down by 49,400 compared to the plus-2.
“Taking both plus-1 and plus-2 marks for higher studies would have put state board students at disadvantage as other boards including CBSE, ISC have started to evaluate answer scripts liberally,” sources in the school education department said.
Among the top 20,000 students admitted in the engineering courses this year the ratio between the state board and CBSE is 20:1.
“If the government has not intervened, the ratio would be reversed next year and the seats in the top engineering colleges and arts and science colleges would have gone to other board students,” officials explained the rationale behind the decision which was facing criticism from educationists.
To get admission to arts and science colleges, students need to have a minimum of 90 per cent marks.
“A majority of students scored between 50 per cent and 70 per cent marks in plus-1. It would be extremely difficult for students to get admission in good colleges and to join in their preferred courses,” they added.
In Tamil Nadu, only state board students have to write two board exams in higher secondary. “The two board exams for state board students alone is unfair,” a section of teachers said.
“Whether we need the public exam for plus-1 is a different question. Once you have the public exam, then you have to consider the marks for higher education. For introducing the public exam the state government has given a reason that private schools were not teaching plus-1 lessons. How are they going to address the issue now?” asked educationist P.B. Prince Gajendrababu.
He further demanded that the school education department must come out with an explanation why the plus-1 students scored fewer marks in the board exam.
He also pointed out that the government did not seek feedback from teachers and headmasters after the first board exam for plus -1.
“The high-level committee constituted for the purpose of suggesting reforms in school education must organise a public hearing to know what the people feel with regard to changes made so far and what their expectations are,” he suggested.
Anna University’s former vice-chancellor and one of the high-level committee members for school education E.Balagurusamy said the decision will lead to the old system and purpose for bringing board exam will be defeated.
“The main reason for bringing board exam for plus-1 is that private schools were teaching plus-2 subjects for two years and not taking plus-1 subjects. Our students could not clear exams like Neet and JEE only because they did not study plus-1,” he explained.
“The purpose for announcing that plus-1 marks would be considered for higher education is to make the students learn plus-1 subjects thoroughly. Again the private schools will not teach the plus one lessons and the revision of plus-1 syllabus also will go as waste,” he added.
When asked about the fears of educationists that the private schools would again return to older ways of avoiding plus-1 subjects and return to teaching only plus 2 lessons for two years, a top official said, “Plus-1 exam is will continue as board exam. The blueprint method has been scrapped and the syllabus also has been revised. Clearing the exam will not be an easy task. The private schools cannot omit plus 1 portion as they were doing earlier.”
