Summary
The president of the state higher secondary council, Chiranjeeb Bhattacharya, said: 'The introduction of the semester system, which will distribute the study load, is expected to push up the number of high scorers. Students will focus more on target-oriented studies'
Only 1.23 per cent of the successful 6,79,784 examinees in the state higher secondary exams, the results of which were declared on Wednesday, scored 90 or above in aggregate.
The council expressed the hope that the situation would improve following the introduction of the semester system in the 2024-25 academic year.
Altogether, 8,331 candidates got the “O” grade (90 to 100 per cent in aggregate).
Although the number of students who have scored the highest grade has marginally increased from last year (see chart), many teachers said students from the Bengal board might be at a disadvantage while competing with those from other boards for undergraduate admissions, considering that most colleges enrol students based on marks.
In Bengal, 16.67 per cent of the successful ISC (Class XII) 2024 candidates got above 90 per cent in aggregate.
The president of the state higher secondary council, Chiranjeeb Bhattacharya, said: “The introduction of the semester system, which will distribute the study load, is expected to push up the number of high scorers. Students will focus more on target-oriented studies.”
In the semester system, the students write two exams in Class XI and two in Class XII.
The council president said the system is also “intended to prepare students of the Bengal board for competitive exams like the national JEE or NEET, on a par with the Delhi boards”.
The percentage of top performers has increased over the years even in the state HS.
In 2018, only 0.79 per cent of the 6,63,000 successful candidates had got the highest grade.In the past six years, 2022 witnessed the highest number of “O” scorers.
That year, the examinees wrote the papers from their own schools (home centres).
Over 7.38 per cent of the successful candidates got the “O” grade that year.
Council president Bhattacharya was asked whether a low percentage of “O” grade scorers could pose a challenge to students in securing a berth in coveted departments at the undergraduate level.
He told Metro: “One of the main reasons why the HS exams do not register top scorers like the Delhi boards is the socio-economic background of most students from the state board. Socio-economic privilege ensures the essential support system for many students who study under the Delhi boards. We get students mostly from the middle or lower middle-income groups. We also have to deal with a whole range of first-generation learners. The percentage of top performers here will naturally be low.”
Apart from the colleges under Ramakrishna Mission and Jadavpur and Presidency universities, which admit students based on admission tests, most institutions admit students based on board marks.
The number of students who got A+ grade (80-89 per cent) and A grade (70-79), too, has increased compared with last year.
In the semester system, the council will test students entirely on multiple-choice questions in the first and third semesters. In the second and fourth semesters, students will be tested through a mix of short-answer and descriptive questions.
Last updated on 09 May 2024
