RANIPET: Schools in Ranipet district recorded a pass percentage of 87.3 in Class 12 examination, becoming the lowest in the state on Monday. The percentage also dipped from the previous year's percentage of 90 and performance of boys also fell when compared to girls, school education department sources said.
Of the 67 government-aided schools in the district, only Chakraka Mallur Model School in Arcot secured a 100% pass with all 43 students clearing the exam.
District chief education officer Usha expressed concern over the performance of students studying in government schools. "But, pass percentage among girls has been good like last year. Though we have worked hard on improving performance among both boys and girls, there are certain issues when it comes to handling boys. Number of absentees is high among boys than girls. We have been taking efforts to locate and bring back students to schools, attend classes and sit for exams. However, boys do not sit for more than a couple of hours. This is one of the reasons for boys faring comparatively less than girls."
Usha also said temporary educators were appointed to compensate for shortage of teachers. "Authorities are now investigating the cause behind the dip in pass percentage, despite all the efforts put in. Once all impediments are identified, steps will be taken," Usha added.
Janardhanan, a teacher and coordinator of Ranipet Teacher Association, attributed the dip in overall pass percentage to the lack of sufficient private schools in the district. As a result, majority of students enrolled in government schools, which are reeling under staff shortage.
However, it may be noted that 681 students from various schools, government and private, scored centum in subjects like Tamil, mathematics, physics and chemistry. There was no centum in English paper. A total of 48 students with disabilities wrote the examination, out of which 44 passed, the school education department said.