Not a single government college in Bangalore has recorded an average pass percentage of more than 65 in the last three academic years, while some colleges in Koppal, Yadgir and Gadag have managed to cross the 90 per cent mark.
Many principals blame lack of proficiency in English among rural students, who have joined government colleges in Bangalore, as a reason for this.
According to information put out by the Department of Collegiate Education (DCE), the average pass percentage for undergraduate courses in 16 city-based government colleges (only 16 have submitted details out of 20 in Bangalore) ranges between 24-63 per cent between 2010-2012. The cumulative average is calculated after considering the number of students who appeared for the exam and those who passed in 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13.
The Government Science College on Nrupathunga Road has an average pass percentage of 43.08 in the last three years. K S Venkateshappa, principal, said most science students come from rural backgrounds. “It is difficult for them to pick up science. It is a major hurdle for them. Also, another problem is their low proficiency in English,” he said.
The Maharani Arts, Commerce and Management College for Women on Seshadri Road has a pass percentage of 50.69 and faces a similar problem.
“The problem lies in the first and second years, especially for students from rural areas. The outgoing results are always good, as students get used to English by then,” said K R Ravikumar, principal. In 2012-13 (third year), the pass percentage in this college was 82.22.
As many as 342 colleges have submitted year-wise details to the DCE. The Government First Grade College (GFGC), Chittapur (Gulbarga), has the highest pass percentage in the State with 96.88. In Bangalore, the GFGC, Kadugodi is the highest with 63.74. The R N Deshpande GFGC in Mulgund has an average of 96.11 and GFGC, Jewargi, has 95.59 per cent.
Minister for Higher Education R V Deshpande said pass percentages in private colleges have been 10-12 per cent higher in the last three-four years.
“The quality of education in government colleges has to improve. The reasons are lack of infrastructure and perhaps low commitment among officials,” he told Express. The Minister said the government will initiate the Naipunya Nidhi programme to train students in communication skills from January 15.
“By May, we hope to train two lakh students in soft skills. I have seen that these skills among students are very poor,” he said.