Pass percentage drops by 26.45 percent

Phurpa Lhamo 

Performance of class X students dropped to the lowest, to 70.12 pass percentage in the 2021 academic year, making it the worst in the past 11 years.

The decrease in the performance is 26.45 percent lower than last year, which was at 96.57 percent.

A Bhutan Council for School Examination and Assessment (BCSEA) official attributed the decrease in the pass percentage to the new assessment criteria, which requires students to score 40 percent in both the continuous assessment (CA) and examination to pass each subject.

According to the official, the drop was also because of an increase in the competency-based questions and curriculum.

He said that the pandemic could have also affected the performance.

The pass percentage remained above 92 percent until the 2020 academic year.

In 2021, 12,546 students took the Bhutan Certificate of Secondary Education (BCSE) exams, but only 8,797 students “pass certificate awarded”.

Girls topped the BCSE and Language and Culture Studies Certificate (LCSC) exams.

In the BCSE, Sonam Pema from Motithang Higher Secondary School topped the exam with 94.80 percent. 

Kinley Deki Yangzom with 93.20 percent from Ugyen Academy and Anisha Gurung from Peljorling HSS with 92.80 percent came second and third.

All 11 students who took the LCSC exam got through.

Nim Dem stood first with 78.80 percent, followed by Selden with 74.40 percent and Tshering Lhamo with 73.20 percent.

Meanwhile, the education ministry is yet to decide if all the students that got through could be accommodated in government schools.

In the last academic year, 1,800 students were enrolled in 20 private schools on government scholarships while around 9,800 students were absorbed in public higher secondary schools.

The government had plans to take in all students who were awarded the ‘pass certificate’ in government schools this academic year.

Education ministry’s director general, Karma Galay, said that the decision would be made this week.

He also said that upgradation works were done in few schools and the schools were ready to accommodate the students.

Karma Galay asked students, who failed not to lose hope and return to school.

He asked the parents of the children who failed to send back the students to school.