Malappuram district posted a pass percentage of 87.9 when the results of SSLC examination 2008 were announced on Tuesday. Although this was the highest pass percentage for the district, education experts pointed out that the growth in pass percentage was not commensurate with that of the State as a whole.

The district saw an improvement of 14.72 per cent over last year’s results. Last year, Malappuram had it was 23.22 per cent over the previous year. This year, Palakkad saw a growth of 18.8 per cent, followed by Kollam with 17.14 per cent, Alappuzha with 15.36 per cent, Pathanamthitta with 15 per cent.

In 2007, Malappuram registered a pass percentage of 76.62 per cent. In 2006, it was 61.91 per cent.

It is pointed out that weakening of the Vijayabheri project, which had done wonders in the district over the past seven years, was partly responsible for the district failing to keep up the growth tempo. Four of the five coordinators of the Vijayabheri had been withdrawn and their deputation cancelled some months ago. It had badly affected the conduct of regular motivation camps for SSLC students.

When the District Panchayat launched the Vijayabheri in the district in 2001, the pass percentage of Malappuram in SSLC was only 33.24. Since 2001, the district witnessed a growth of 164.44 per cent in its SSLC results. The dozens of unaided schools that scored 100 per cent pass apart, only one school in the aided and Government sector achieved 100 per cent pass. St. Gemma’s Girls High School, Malappuram, got that distinction. Government Girls High School, Malappuram, lost 100 per cent pass by the failure of one student. According to Kochammini, headmistress of the school, it would have been a historic achievement if all the 338 students who appeared for the exams had won.

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