Editorial
Primary terminal examination results
Raises hopes for the future
The pass rate percentage in the primary education terminal examinations has seen a steady increase in the two years since its inception, hitting a record high at 97.26 percent this, its third, year. A number of factors have been identified as having contributed to the improvement, including free textbook distribution, stipends and certificates for students, training programmes for teachers followed by monitoring and evaluation, better care of students by both teachers and guardians as well as students' own awareness of academic issues. The fact that over 1 lakh students have achieved GPA-5 also shows the amount of talent which exists in our children and the potential for the future.
However, there are still schools with no success, that is, zero pass rate, and though the number has decreased, it remains a cause for concern. Of equal, if not greater, concern is the dropout rate, which, though also on the decline, is still high. Although government measures to address the issue, such as providing stipends and meals, have helped somewhat, poverty still plays an important role in keeping students out of school and at work instead. This is especially so in the case of girls who, if they fail once, are discouraged to go back to school. More intensive efforts in the form of incentives for poor students, may be necessary in this regard.
Overall, however, from what the latest results show, the picture of the future is bright and we congratulate the students on, and take hope in, their achievements. With a steady government commitment to primary education, we may be optimistic that the pass rate will continue to increase and the dropout rate to decline. Most importantly, we wish that our children will be benefited by a standard education system which will build the foundation of their future and that of the nation's, along with it.
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