As usual, girls lead in Class 12

At least 8,93,262 school students wrote the exams this year, out of which 8,22,838 passed.  This year too, the girls outperformed boys. They were ahead by 5.2 per cent with 4,51,852 schoolgirls passing the exam compared to 3,70,985 boys. The only transgender candidate to attempt the exam also passed. The highest number of centums was scored in commerce; 8,301 perfect scores compared to 3,084 last year. 

Accountancy took second place with 5,597 centums when compared to 4,341 last year. No centums were scored in Languages. In Physics, 187 students achieved perfect scores. Among other science subjects, 1,123 students scored full marks in Chemistry, 221 in Biology, 22 in Botany and four in Zoology. 

Around 3,656 students scored centum in Mathematics. Among top performers, 1,171 students achieved more than 1,180 out of 1,200 marks. As many as 1,22,83 students scored between 1151 – 1180 marks and 1,48,06 students scored between 1,126 – 1,150 marks.  

Virudhunagar district topped the list with 97.85 pass percentage followed by Ramanathapuram with 96.44 pass percentage and Erode stood at third place with 96.69 pass percentage. Chennai, on the other hand, scored 92.99 pass percentage. However, it was better than last year’s 91.81 per cent.

Addressing reporters in Coimbatore on the day the Class 12 board exam results were released, School Education Minister K.A. Sengottaiyan said the standard of the new school syllabus would be on a par with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) stream. The minister said the new syllabus would make it possible for students to face NEET with ease.  

“We have received expert opinion on it and would be formulating the new syllabus soon,” he said. About confusion prevailing over NEET for MBBS aspirants, the minister said they received opinion from experts and senior educationalists, including a former university vice-chancellor and their recommendations would be sent to the Centre for consideration. Stating that 8.72 lakh students had their board exam marks through SMS, Sengottaiyan said this was the beginning of the series of sweeping changes that the government was trying to introduce in the school education system.