The results of this year’s Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) exams at the Chittagong Education Board have shown a significant drop in both the pass rate and the number of GPA-5 achievers. According to officials, such poor results have never been seen since the board’s establishment.
This year, the pass rate stands at 52.57%, nearly 18% lower than the previous year.
Additionally, 6,097 students received GPA-5, which is about 4,000 fewer than last year. Chattogram Education Board controller of examinations Parvez Sajjad Chowdhury disclosed the statistics at a press briefing held at the board auditorium on Thursday morning.
Regarding the decline in results, Chowdhury stated that the Ministry of Education had issued strict instructions this year, prohibiting overmarking. “Students were evaluated based on what they wrote,” he said, adding, “In the past, there was a tendency to award extra marks in some cases.
Many students might have relied on this practice, thinking they would get higher marks even with fewer answers.
Additionally, the recent events, including the July movement, have negatively impacted students’ studies.”
Reasons for the result crisis in three hill districts
Parvez Sazzad explained that although teachers were appointed in the three hill districts through the Non-Government Teachers’ Registration & Certification Authority (NTRCA), , many left their jobs soon after joining.
This caused disruption in regular classes and affected students’ studies. He called for efforts to solve the teacher shortage and suggested introducing scholarship programs, skills training, and a new assessment system, while also raising awareness among parents.
The results revealed that a total of 102,970 students from Chittagong city and district, the three hill districts, and Cox’s Bazar participated in the exams. Of these, 53,560 students passed, resulting in a pass rate of 52.57%.
Last year, the pass rate was 70.32%, with 10,269 students achieving GPA-5.
This year, the pass rate for male students is 48.95%, while for female students, it is 55.49%. In Chittagong city, the pass rate is 70.90%, while outside the city, it is 43.63%.
In the three hill districts, the pass rates are 41.24% in Rangamati, 35.53% in Khagrachhari, and 36.38% in Bandarban. The pass rate in Cox’s Bazar district is 45.39%.
The highest pass rate was in the Science group achieved the highest pass rate at 78.75%, followed by Business Studies at 55.30%, and Humanities at 37.08%. Female students showed a greater progress rate, with a pass rate of 55.49%, compared to 48.95% for male students.
What do students, guardians say?
Many students were thrilled with their results, while others were seen in tears.
One female student who passed said, “This year’s exams were much harder compared to previous years, but I’m very happy to pass. My parents, teachers, and friends have played a huge role in my success.”
One guardian shared, “My daughter got GPA-5. The questions were much harder this time. I was very worried she might not perform well. Compared to last year’s results, this year’s performance is much lower.”
