150 UP schools had zero students passing Class 10/12 exams
The UP Secondary Education Board (UPSEB) upped its anti-cheating measures drastically this time, and the consequences were clearly visible: nearly 10L students chose to skip the exams the first four days because of this. Now that the Board has announced results of the Class 10 and 12 exams, the effects are even starker: 150 schools had zero pass percentage for at least one class.
Ghazipur led the list of such schools
Ninety-eight schools had zero students passing the Class-10 exam, while 52 had similar records for Class-12. Most of these, which include government as well as private schools, were in 50 'sensitive' districts. Ghazipur had 17 schools where all students of either class failed. Allahabad had six, five in Bahraich, and at least one in Auraiya, Kaushambi, Mathura, Aligarh, Gorakhpur, Deoria, Agra and Lucknow.
Strict anti-cheating measures might have impacted results
A major reason was strict anti-cheating measures, officials said. The administration had "studied all possible ways and means of (cheating)," Secondary Education Minister Dinesh Sharma had said. CCTV cameras were mandated at exam centers, which came down from over 12,000 to 8,500. Other measures included frisking students, appointing administrative-officers as sector-magistrates, and prohibitory orders near centers. Even STF and local intelligence were roped in.
Or a very few students even appeared the exams
According to UPSEB Secretary Neena Srivastava, there could be other factors, like the high absenteeism. Srivastava said it was possible that "only a dozen or so students" had appeared the board exams in these schools, thus keeping the overall pass percentage low.
Schools might be asked for an explanation
Srivastava said the board will now analyze the results, and if need be, seek explanation from these schools. "We will decide on the fate of all such educational institutes when the board will reopen," she said. The board is currently closed for three days after results were declared on Sunday. This time, 75.16% students passed Class 10, while 72.43% cleared the Class 12 exams.
