After the debacle in the results of SSC and HSC tests due to strict evaluation, pass rates of grades V and VIII examinations have also dropped sharply this year.
The fifth graders’ scores in mathematics, English and Arabic papers dropped from last year while English, mathematics and science papers dealt a blow to the eighth graders.
Pass rates in Primary Education Completion or PEC and Ebtedayee exams for the fifth graders this year are 95.18 per cent and 92.94 per cent respectively, according to the results published on Saturday.
Last year, the pass rates in PEC and Ebtedayee exams were 98.51 per cent and 95.85 per cent respectively, which means PEC pass rate dropped this year by 3.33 percentage points and Ebtedayee 2.91 percentage points.
The number of GPA-5 scorers has also dropped to 267,632 from 287,846.
In Junior School Certificate or JSC and Junior Dakhil Certificate or JDC exams for the eighth graders, the pass rate has fallen to 83.65 per cent from last year’s 93.03 per cent.
The number of eighth-grade GPA-5 scorers also dropped to 191,628 from 247,558.
The success rate in the JSC and JDC tests has dropped by 9.41 percentage points, and the number of GPA-5 scorers decreased by 55,960.
The results of both fifth and eighth graders were worse than last year’s in other indicators as well.
After receiving copies of the results on Saturday morning, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said, “The pass rate fell slightly this year, maybe because you are more alert now. I hope it will rise again in the future.”
Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid and Primary and Mass Education Minister Mostafizur Rahman Fizar submitted the results to her.
Nahid and Fizar said they would investigate the reasons behind the fall in pass rates and other indicators.
Following complaints of generous grading in the past years to raise the pass rates, the authorities toughened the answer script evaluation system in SSC and HSC exams this year, leading the pass rates in both the exams to drop.
Speaking about JSC and JDC results, Nahid said the recommendations by Bangladesh Education Development Unit were being followed gradually for the past three years, which ‘slightly’ affected the results this year.
He was asked why pass rates in JSC and JDC tests dropped along with the number of examinees and GPA-5 scorers this year.
Nahid said, “I am not going to evaluate these issues now. The education boards and the ministry will investigate these separately. Only then will we get the real picture.”
Inter-education board coordination subcommittee Exam Controller Tapan Kumar Sarker told bdnews24 that the drop in pass rates in English, math and science papers impacted the overall results.
The pass rate in the board’s English paper slumped to 70.70 per cent from 92.08 per cent, math to 82.46 per cent from 97.05 per cent and science paper pass rate dropped to 91.18 per cent from 99.36 per cent.
The little pupils of grade V also scored lower in English and math than the last year’s candidates.
In Ebtedayee for fifth graders of madrasas, Arabic paper was the reason behind the drop in the pass rate.
Minister Fizar said, “The people’s expectations cannot be met all the time, but we are trying our best to achieve the best results.”
