Girls take top three SSCE positions 27 May 2009, 0619 hrs IST, TNN
PANAJI: Girls had reason to celebrate when the standard X examination results were announced on Tuesday evening. Not only did they steal the top three honours, but more girls than boys achieved distinctions and first classes as the Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education recorded its highest pass percentage in five years. There was more good news, as this year there was not a single school with a zero pass percentage, though in the past few years there would be over ten schools annually all of whose students would fail. Also, 13 schools secured a 100% result this year as against 10 last year. Margao girl Melisa Shirley Luis of Damodar Vidyalay topped with a percentage of 94.67. She was followed by Shravani Devidas Gurav of Sarvodaya high school, Churchorem who secured 94% and Vidula Uday Pedenkar of Fatima convent, Margao with 93.5%. A visibly delighted board chairman Merwyn D'Souza said, "Girls have done very well this year. Our heartiest congratulations to schools that have got 100% results." With the state registering its highest pass percentage in the standard X exams in five years, Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education officials have reasons to feel vindicated for their policy decisions, including the much-criticized move to implement the NCERT syllabus. Parents and teachers had severely reproached the board saying that teachers were not given enough and proper training to adapt to the NCERT syllabus. They had also claimed that the syllabus had been introduced very suddenly. The criticism had been strengthened when the pass percentage last year (the first batch after the NCERT syllabus was introduced) had stood at 69.94, lower than 2007's 73.61. This year with 77.12% passing, the board could take credit for its decisions. Students from 358 high schools appeared for the exams held between March 30 and April 15, 2009. Of the 15,195 students who registered, 15,171 appeared and 11,700 passed, with the pass percentage crossing the 75% mark for the first time. Board chairman Merwyn D'Souza said that it was mostly urban centres that recorded high pass percentages, with Ponda centre recording the highest of 87.46. Of the students who answered the exam 7,503 (49%) were boys and 7,668 (51%) girls. The pass percentage among boys might have been higher at 77.4 as against 76.84 among girls, but 802 girls secured distinctions as against 550 boys. This means that 14% of the girls that appeared for the exams got distinctions, while 9% of the boys did it. Also, a higher number of girls 1,632 (28%) secured a first class as against 1,234 (21%) boys. More boys featured in the second class and pass class. The number of boys getting a secodn class was 2,719 as against 2,646 girls. Only 807 girls featured in the pass class, while the number of boys in the category was 1,304. Mapusa, with 1,669 candidates, was the largest examination centre and Sanguem with 185 students was the smallest. While K B Hedgewar high school, Panaji achieved 100% result for the fourth year in a run, Damodar Vidyalaya of Margao did it for the second consecutive year. Presentation Convent of Margao regained the honour this year after a lapse of a year. Mae De Deus of Corjeum, Aldona, Ameeniya high school Baina, Viscount of Pernem, New English high school, Pernem, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Pernem, St Mary's high school, Ponda, Mahanand G Naik high school, Ponda, Fatima Convent, Margao, Bhatikar Model high school, Margao and Our Lady of Socorro, Verna are the other schools that attained 100% results. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Goa/Girls-take-top-three-SSCE-positions/articleshow/4582366.cms
