Karnataka SSLC results: Languages, not maths, see lowest pass percentage

BENGALURU: While mathematics and science have always been assumed to be stumbling blocks for SSLC students in the past, this year’s results showed the languages recording the lowest pass percentage of any subject.
This year recorded the best SSLC pass percentage ever at 85.6%, but a subject-wise analysis shows that the lowest pass percentage was recorded in first language, followed by second language. The options for first language are Kannada, Telugu, Hindi, Marathi, Urdu, Tamil, English, and Sanskrit. The second language options are English and Kannada, while those for third language are Hindi, Kannada, English, Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Sanskrit, Konkani, and Tulu.

According to data from Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board, the pass percentage this year was highest in social studies (96.2%) and lowest in first language (93.1%). In 2019, first language had the highest pass percentage (94%), while maths had the lowest (85.6%). In 2022, maths saw 95% of students passing, and science 96%.
Even though the overall pass percentage in second language (94.4%) is higher than the 2019 results (92%), the subject has the dubious distinction of having the second-largest number of students failing this time. “There was a general fear about maths. So, we were constantly told by the board to ready students with the preparatory question papers, which we did religiously. A large number of questions were the same as the ones we helped students practice with. It was, therefore, easy for them to pass,” said the principal of a private school on Sarjapur Road.
The minister for primary and secondary education has admitted that the high pass percentage is because of the considerably low number of tough questions and liberal evaluation, considering the hardship students went through the past two years.
“Since attendance was not compulsory, students were irregular with many turning up only by February. They were all in their hometowns, where they do not even use the language to speak at home. When they returned, we trained them with the preparatory boards well. Unlike maths, Kannada was different. It needed reading and writing, which the children did not do,” said the headmistress of a government school in east Bengaluru.
Manjunath HK, president of Karnataka State High School Teachers’ Association, said that because of the pandemic, the writing skills of students declined drastically. “They were also unable to memorise answers. Many questions required lengthy answers, which the students were unable to produce. Unlike maths, where the final answer fetched the marks, languages became tougher to pass,” he said.