While Udupi district was among 10 districts that secured grade A, Dakshina Kannada, which had a student scoring 625 marks, was among the 20 districts which scored B grade in the SSLC examinations results of which were declared on Monday.

Udupi district had been ranked fifth while Dakshina Kannada had bagged 7th rank in terms of overall performance of students in the SSLC examination last year.

This year the State government has stopped giving ranks and has given A, B and C grades based on pass percentage, average scores of students and number of students scoring first class and distinction.

Commending the performance, Deputy Directors of Public Instruction of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada Sheshashayana Karinja and Malleswamy, respectively, said that the students have excelled in the examination that was held in trying circumstances. Teachers were in contact with them and ensured that their morale did not drop during the gap between the initial examination dates and the dates on which they were held. They are awaiting details of the marks for an analysis, they said.

The two districts had preparatory examinations. Slow learners were identified and teachers held special classes to prepare them. “Though teachers remained in touch with their students via phone during the lockdown, it is with self inspiration that students have excelled in the examination,” said a teacher of a government secondary school in Mangaluru.