Girls outshine boys in SSC results for fifth straight year

For the fifth consecutive year, female students have outshined male students in the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent exams – in terms of the pass rate.

This year, 84.10 percent of girls have passed the exams against 81.06 percent of boys.

The overall pass rate has increased by 0.67 percentage points while the number of GPA 5 holders has risen by over 30,304.

The results of the SSC and equivalent exams were published on Sunday amid the Covid-19 crisis in the country.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the results through a videoconference from Ganabhaban – her official residence.

Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni held a press conference about the results on Facebook.

The prime minister congratulated the students and their guardians for their successes in the exams.

The result day was sombre as there were no celebrations for the students' successes in the public exams.

However, the number of schools with a 100 percent pass rate increased by 440 while the number of schools with zero percent pass rate dropped by three. Out of 336 candidates who sat for the exams at foreign centres, 318 have passed.

For the first time in the country, the results were sent to the mobile phones of the candidates who registered for them beforehand.

This year, the pass rate among the girls is 3.04 percentage points higher than that of the boys. Around 5,000 more girls achieved GPA 5 than boys.

Since 2016, the pass rate among girls has been around two percentage points higher, on average, than that of boys.

Educator Prof Syed Manzoorul Islam told The Business Standard that girls are more attentive in their studies – which has paid off.

"Girls spend more time on their studies than boys. In adolescent years, boys become more adventurous and their concentration lowers."

Top boards in pass rate, GPA 5

Rajshahi Education Board has again topped all the eight general education boards in the overall pass rate as 90.37 percent of its candidates passed the tests. However, the rate was 91.64 percent last year.

In terms of getting GPA 5, no education board is near the Dhaka Education Board as 36,047 of its students received the top score this year.

Sylhet Education Board has earned the lowest pass rate (78.79 percent) although it has improved significantly. Last year, its pass rate was 70.83 percent. However, the number of GPA 5 holders under the board is 4,263 this year.

Results decline for madrasas, improve for technical schools

This year, madrasa students have failed to improve over last year's performance even though technical education candidates have done slightly better.

The overall pass rate in the Madrasa Education Board is 82.51 percent with 7,516 getting GPA 5. From the Technical Education Board, 72.70 percent of students passed with 4,885 getting GPA 5.

The pass rates for both the boards were 83.03 percent and 72.24 percent, respectively, last year.

In both the boards, female students are also ahead of males in pass rates although they are behind male students in achieving GPA 5.

Results of science, humanities, commerce groups

This year, 94.54 percent students from the science group have passed while, last year, it was 94.72 percent.

In comparison, the students from humanities and commerce groups have done better.

The pass rate of the humanities group is 76.39 percent while that of the commerce group is 84.80 percent. Last year, it was 74.32 percent and 83.03 percent, respectively.

No celebrations by students

Usually, schools across the country celebrate after the exam results are announced – every year. Some dance while others take selfies showing a V-sign. Of course, there are some gloomy faces as well.

However, there was no festivity today.

Taskina Mahnoor Morshed Pritha, a student of Mohammadpur Preparatory Girls High School, who got GPA 5 from the science group, told The Business Standard that she missed celebrating the success with her friends.

"No one went to the school. I got the result through SMS. I shared my joy with my parents and sister. However, I did not get any scope to share my joy with friends and teachers," she said.

The ministry had a plan to publish the results on May 7, but could not do so because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Officials concerned said for the first time in the last eight years, the ministry had failed to publish the results within 60 days of the completion of a public examination.

Last year, the SSC and equivalent examinations' results were published on May 6.

This year, the examinations began on February 3 and ended on March 6.