No of pupils taking Class 11 exams drops by 46K

The statistics shared by the Directorate of Government Examination stated that last year around 8.47 lakh school students took Class 11 board exams as against this year’s 8.01 lakh only.

The data also revealed that the dropout rate is more among boys. In 2018, the total number of boys, who took Class 11 board exams was 3.9 lakh. But, the number reduced by more than 26,000 candidates this year. Academicians say that interest among students to continue with studies after Class 10 is waning because most of them are more inclined towards taking up polytechnic and ITE courses to land jobs almost immediately.

The general secretary of State Platform for Common School System, P B Prince Gajendra Babu, said, “This is worrying and a clear warning to the government which should come out with plans to encourage students to pursue higher education. Otherwise, we cannot produce teachers, scientists, accountant if students do not even reach higher secondary schools.”

Adding that the new science subjects in Classes 11 and 12 are based on cracking NEET exam, Babu said, “While pretending to upgrade the syllabus, the government has been focusing only on competitive tests. If this is going to be the case, then the pure science and commerce streams will vanish.”

The president of Tamil Nadu Teachers Association (TTA), PK Illamaran, said that poor students, who complete Class 10, cannot afford to pay for higher studies. “Government schools should have good infrastructure facilities for students, improving their teaching methods and provide career guidance periodically to improve admission figures in high and higher secondary schools,” he said.

A senior official from the Education Department said the reduction in the number of students joining Class 11 will be monitored closely. He also pointed out many students in the state are interested in joining vocational courses that are job oriented.