For the first time in the history of Vellore district, two students — S Vinusha and C S Sharumathi - have emerged State toppers in the Class X board examination, the results for which were announced on Friday. Both of them have secured 498/500.
While Vinusha is a student of Auxilum Girls Higher Secondary School (a government-aided school), Sharumathi is from Shristhi Matriculation Higher Secondary School (a private school).
A total of 15 students are among the top three state ranks and almost all of them hail from lower-middle class families with minimal educational backgrounds and belonging to backward and most backward communities.
Vellore comprises the educational districts of Vellore and Tirupattur and has increased its pass percentage to 83.09 per cent this year as compared to 82.23 per cent last year, a marginal increase of 0.86 per cent. But it has slipped to 27th position in the State from 26th position last year.
Out of the 56,934 students who had appeared, 46,821 passed last year and this year the number has slightly increased to 57,171 appearing and 47,501 students clearing the same. During 2010-11, the pass percentage was 80 per cent.
Seven government schools have produced cent per cent pass results as compared to six last year. Three students from government schools have crossed the 490 mark. M Anitha, a student of Government Girls Higher Secondary School at Gajjalnaikanpattai, a remote village near Tirupattur, has secured 492/500 while H Deexitha of Government Girls Higher Secondary School at Pernambut and K Kavitha of Government Girls Higher Secondary School have secured 491/500 each, closely followed by M Charumathi of Government Girls Higher Secondary School at Katpadi with 490/500, all of whom have emerged district toppers among the government schools.
Though districts like Kancheepuram (with 562 schools) and Tiruvallore (575 schools) have registered around 86 per cent pass percentage this year, Vellore with 559 schools had over 57,000 students appearing for the Class X exams as compared to Kancheepuram (55,045) and Tiruvallore (51,282). Also Vellore houses a higher number of government schools (310) and government-aided schools (around 100). The pass per cent of these government schools decide the overall performance of the district unlike the other districts where private schools dominated in presence as well as in performance. Braving all constraints, Vellore has been bettering its performance consistently in the psst three years.
“We have taken a lot of measures to ensure good performance in the government schools this year,” said T V Senguttuvan, Chief Educational Officer (CEO). He said that right from November last year, the students were motivated to work on question banks in all subjects. A district level committee chaired by the CEO was formed to supervise and monitor the subject-wise performance of the students and teachers who helped in the overall outcome. “We ensured that they undergo mock tests and monthly revision tests on a routine basis besides the special classes after the regular classes,” he added.
The teachers were given freedom to conduct classes of the subjects and timings according to their choices. The student adoption scheme announced by the state government (making teachers adopt students and accept responsibility for their performance) had proved to be helpful in motivating the teachers and students alike, he further said.