GPA-5 galore in HSC

Examinees of Rajuk Uttara Model College hug and jump in sheer joy yesterday to celebrate their outstanding results in this year's HSC exams. The institution came out on top among colleges in the Dhaka Board. Photo: Palash Khan

The results of this year's Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations smashed all previous records in terms of success rate and GPA-5 achievers.

The pass rate in eight education boards stands at 76.50 percent, which is 4.14 percentage points higher than that of last year.
As many as 169 out of 179 students, who sat for the exam in five centres abroad under Dhaka board, came out successful.
This year, a total of 51,469 students secured GPA-5, the highest grade point average, from eight general boards. Of 558 students, who appeared in this year's HSC exams from cadet colleges, 539 scored GPA-5.
The number of GPA-5 achievers increased by 17,084 this year compared to that of the previous year.
Under 10 education boards, including madrasa and technical boards, 9,17,673 students from 7,465 institutions took this year's HSC and equivalent examinations. Of them, 61,162 students -- 33,168 boys and 27,994 girls -- obtained GPA-5. The total of last year's GPA-5 achievers was 39,769.
Students have been consistently doing well in the HSC-level education since 2005, when the pass rate crossed the 50 percent threshold. Only 20 students got GPA-5 when the grading system was introduced in 2003.
This year students had done significantly well in English and other major subjects and this had contributed to higher success rate and more GPA-5 achievers, observed education board officials and teachers of renowned colleges.
The pass rate in English in six of the education boards is over 80 percent while in Barisal and Jessore boards over 70 percent. In Dhaka board, 87.38 percent students passed in English.
The results published yesterday also show significant improvement in other indicators like the increased number of examinees and institutions, and colleges with cent percent pass.
A total of 1,036 institutions witnessed cent percent success this year which was 892 last year. The number of colleges with zero success, however, remained 24, the same as last year.
The combined pass rate in all the 10 education boards also broke all previous records with 78.67 percent students coming out successful. Last year the combined pass rate was 75.08 percent.

“If we analyse the indicators, we will see a positive trend in the country's overall standard of education. It implies that we are doing well not only in numbers but also in standard,” said Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid at a press briefing after publishing the results officially.
He said the disparity between rural and urban areas was declining as students from rural areas were doing well. “Most of the rural students chose the humanities group and the result of this group is quite good.”
Earlier, the minister had handed over the results to Prime Minister Shiekh Hasina at Gono Bhaban, where the premier attended a teleconference and sent results to Rajshahi Government College and Rajshahi Government Girls' College via internet.
This year's HSC results were published simultaneously at all examination centres and colleges yesterday afternoon, 55 days after the exams had concluded.
Although boys have outshone girls in achieving the highest grades this time, girls did better in terms of the pass rate. The success rate of boys and girls are 78.23 and 79.19 respectively.
Rajuk Uttara Model College topped the list of 20 most successful institutions in Dhaka board. Four colleges outside the capital also secured position in the chart prepared on five academic categories.
Abdul Kadir Mollah City College in Narsingdi ranked second, Mymensingh Girls' Cadet College ranked third, Mirzapur Cadet College in Tangail secured seventh and Shahid Syed Nazrul Islam College in Mymensingh ranked fourteenth positions in the list.
As usual, students from the science group scored the highest number of GPA-5 trailed by students of the business studies and the humanities groups. Almost one-third of the students scored GPA-5 were of Dhaka board.
However the pass rate in the business studies group is the highest while the humanities group exceptionally well compared to previous results.
Like other years, Alim examinees did exceptionally well compared to other nine boards with a pass rate of 91.77 percent.
The education minister said they had given more priority to institutions in monga-prone, haor and char areas. He said extra classes had been arranged in 4,800 comparatively weaker institutions.
CONCERN OVER ADMISSION
The big success in the HSC, however, triggers bitter concern for enrolments as seats are limited in public universities.
For instance, most of the GPA-5 achievers from the science group desire to get enrolled in Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet). But the university has around 1,000 seats while the 18 public medical colleges can accommodate up to 2,712 students.
In contrast, 25,104 students got GPA-5 from Dhaka board alone. This would throw the high achievers in a cruel battle for places in renowned institutions, let alone the non-GPA-5 admission seekers.
The education minister, however, said everyone would be able to enrol at these institutions as there would be no dearth of seats. Universities were opening new departments and enrolling greater number of students every year. Besides, the government was approving new colleges and universities, he added.
“Higher education has always been competitive in every part of the world. So there is no reason to think that someone will not get good education if s/he does not get admitted to certain reputed institution,” said the minister.
Top 20 Colleges, Dhaka Board
1.Rajuk Uttara Model College
2.Abdul Kadir Mollah City College
3.Mymensingh Girls' Cadet College
4. Viqarunnisa Noon College
5. Notre Dame College
6. Residential Model College
7. Mirzapur Cadet College
8. Dhaka City College
9. National Ideal College
10. SOS Hermann Gmeiner College
11. Ideal Scholl and College
12. Holy Cross College
13. Cambrian College
14. Shahid Syed Nazrul Islam College
15. Dhaka College
16. Shaheed Bir Uttam Anwar Girls’
College
17. Bir Shreshtha Noor Mohammad
Public College
18. Dhaka Commerce College
19. Shamsul Haque Khan School and
College
20. Adamjee Cantonment College