CHENNAI: Even as the Directorate of Government Examinations (DGE) started an inquiry into the abnormally high number of centums in core subjects, especially chemistry, recorded in a handful of schools in Villupuram district, a similar trend has come to light in a few more schools in the neighbouring Cuddalore district in the Class 12 exams of the state board.
The DGE summoned 45 staff members concerned for the inquiry (Villupuram episode), apart from teachers and headmasters, here on Thursday. Meanwhile, in Cuddalore, four private schools accounted for 710 of the 5,133 centums scored in chemistry, physics, and biology across TN this year, according to available data.
This meant that 13.83% of the state’s perfect scores in these three subjects came from just four of the 7,513 schools from which students took the exams. It is noteworthy that while all the 421 students from Vallalar Matriculation Higher Secondary School (in Cuddalore) cleared the exams, 97 scored centums in chemistry, 87 in biology, 71 in physics and 54 in mathematics. Strikingly, the 87 centums in biology accounted for 10.5% of the 827 centums in the subject across TN.
In GK Matriculation Higher Secondary School, 148 students managed to score 334 centums in different subjects. This included a whopping 105 in chemistry, 61 in physics, 62 in biology and 82 in mathematics. Dhava Amudham Matriculation Higher Secondary School followed with 222 centums – 91 in chemistry, 51 in physics, 34 in biology and 22 in mathematics. Atchaya Mandir Higher Secondary School, where 90 students sat the exam, recorded 30 centums in chemistry, 10 in biology and 11 each in physics and mathematics.
A comparison of these scores with previous years’ records of two schools available showed a significant surge. GK Matriculation, for instance, recorded 174 centums across all subjects in 2023–24 which has now reached 334. Similarly, Vallalar school recorded 38 centums last year, which jumped to 424 this year across all subjects.
Interestingly, 167 of the roughly 450 students (37%) from the three schools in Villupuram who scored centums in chemistry took the exam from the same centre. Sources in the school education department said the inquiry is under way.
Many students from these schools in the two districts have scored a perfect 200 out of 200 cut-off for admissions to engineering and agriculture courses. At least 70 from the four schools in Cuddalore secured such a score. “The centums in these schools are very high in core subjects that affect the cut-offs. This has to be thoroughly investigated as it could be unfair to other students,” said a government school headmaster.
When TNIE contacted, three of the four schools in Cuddalore attributed the outstanding results to the extensive coaching and denied any malpractice. GK Matriculation could not be reached for comments. District-level officials said strict surveillance was ensured to prevent any malpractice. “The results do seem disproportionate. We will request a detailed report and review the school’s records,” said a district official.