Editorial
New records set in HSC
Worries persist over admission
Congratulations are in order for all those who successfully completed high school this year. This year's results show a significantly better passing out rate than 2011. With more than 8 out of 10 candidates passing HSC and GPA-5 achievers across all eight general boards in the country increasing to more than 25,000, i.e. an improvement of about 41 per cent, all point to an improvement in quality of education. Major indicators for such performance are better performance in subjects like English which had one time been an Achilles heel for HSC candidates. This year's performance across most education boards points to an average of 80 per cent students passing the once dreaded subject.
While it is the successful candidates who steal all the glory, it is easy to forget that nearly 19 per cent in Dhaka board and about 32 per cent candidates in the worse performing board, Barisal, failed to pass at all. One may only ponder upon their fate. Equally worrisome is the fact that as with last year, some 24 educational institutions failed to graduate any candidate. The question therefore is precisely what steps will be taken to improve the lot of failing institutions. The other room for concern is that the urban-rural disparity in terms of achievement remains, in spite of the assertion of the education minister. This is evident from the fact that only one of the twenty top- performing institutions under Dhaka Board is from a rural area.
Looking into the future, the euphoria of having attained such high grades does not automatically guarantee a deserving candidate's admission in a prestigious institution. With more than 25,000 GPA-5 achievers competing over a mere 3,700 seats available across 18 public universities and medical colleges, the reality is that only one in seven candidates will get admission. That, unfortunately, is a very sorry state of affair. For the rest, it will mean enrolling in subjects and institutions that are less than top notch. While one may take comfort in the education minister's claim that new institutions such as colleges and universities are being approved, we are yet to know where and when these will become operational.
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