They are deprived of proper education, let alone passing exams
Educationists blame a flawed system for the low-quality education in many schools of the country
Only seven students sat for the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations from Chakrampur High School in Dinajpur's Khansama area this year but, unfortunately, all of them failed.
The teachers of the school, established in 1984, said the students were irregular and very weak. Besides, the head teacher was negligent and had no plan to improve the quality of the students.
The school has 11 teachers and 150 students and is financially facilitated by the government under the monthly pay order (MPO).
This year, 104 educational institutions across the country have come out with zero percent pass rate in the SSC and equivalent exams.
Of them, six are secondary schools, 48 are madrasas and 50 are vocational schools. They have 819 students in total.
Allegedly, students are deprived of proper education due to a poor learning system in these institutions which is why they have failed in the exams.
Educationists blame a flawed system for the low-quality education in many schools of the country.
A The Business Standard team recently visited 17 institutions with zero pass rate countrywide and discovered a deplorable state of education there.
The education ministry statistics show that over 100 institutions on an average come out with zero percent pass rate in the SSC and equivalent exams every year. Even, less than five students take part in the exams from many institutions.
The ministry serves them with a show-cause notice and suspends their MPO status at times. But there is no record of cancelling their academic activities.
Abu HenaMostafa Kamal, school inspector of Dinajpur Board, said Chakrampur High School is the oldest one in the board. However, students failed due to lack of proper supervision by the managing committee and the head teacher.
"We will serve a show-cause letter to the school and take actions if the reply is not satisfactory," he said.
Joydeb Chandra Singha, assistant head teacher of the school, admitted their negligence. "We did not supervise the students. So, they failed."
Professor Emeritus of Dhaka University Serajul Islam Chowdhury told The Business Standard that it is pathetic that the students are deprived of getting proper education.
"It is not the students' fault. But they are the victims of a faulty system," he said.
"Indeed, the pass rate has increased. But the quality of education has not been ensured evenly. But it [quality education] is urgent," he added.
Education Minister DrDipuMoni on May 31 told the reporters in the secretariat that the ministry would take stern actions against the educational institutions with zero pass.
She was only examinee and failed
Only one student appeared at the SSC exams from Shaheed Srity Somowriti Girls High School at Kolaroa in Satkhira this year. Unfortunately, she failed in English. And more interestingly, the school has no teacher for English and mathematics.
Head Teacher SabiaParvin said she runs the school in a teen-shed house with only three rooms. Established in 2001, the facility has 82 students and 8 teachers in total.
Unexpectedly, there was no regular students to sit for this year's SSC exams. The student who failed was irregular.
"We are trying to improve the condition. Hopefully, we will do better from the next year," said Sabina.
The condition of another school in the district with no pass is almost the same.
Abdul Hamid, Kalaroaupazila education officer, said they would inform the ministry about it soon. "We will also run a drive soon to find out the below-standard institutions."
They failed and went into hiding
Two institutions have failed to earn a pass rate under Mymensingh Education Board this year. Both the institutions are suddenly unreachable to the local education board.
MdShamsul Islam, Mymensingh Education Board controller, said, "We are trying to reach them but their phone numbers are off."
A board official, seeking anonymity, said, actually, many institutions run by influential people take permission from the ministry which sometimes allows them to run without doing an inspection.
Technical Board yet to list schools with 0 pass
No students from 50 vocational schools nationwide have passed the SSC and equivalent exams. But the technical board is yet to compile the names of those schools.
DrSushil Kumar Pal, controller of the Technical Board, said they would sit soon to decide the fate of those institutions.
No govt salary, so no education
Al Huda Ideal Dakhil Madrasa from Taraganj upazila in Rangpur had 20 SSC examinees this year. All failed in either Mathematics or Arabic or both. The institution has no teacher for Mathematics and Arabic.
More interestingly, Shafiul Islam, a student of the madrasa, said he was not prepared for the exams as he was weak in Mathematics and Arabic.
The institution administration admitted it, saying they did not get any salary from the government. So, they were unable to impart proper education to students for good results.
Obaidullah, superintendent of the madrasa, said the institution has 120 students and been running academic activities since 1993. The teachers waited for the MPO facilities for a long time. But even after continuous attempts, they failed.
Md Kamal Uddin, controller of Madrasa Education Board, said they would serve show-cause notices to the institutions with zero pass and ask them to improve academic activities.
No supply of answers from outside, no pass
Allegedly, a good number of teachers were involved in providing answers to the students during the exams. Students of those institutions that failed to supply the prepared answers to their examinees could not pass the exams.
JoynagarMohilaDhakhil Madrasa located at Dawlatkhanupazila in Bhola district was reportedly one of them.
It has 22 examinees. The madrasa authorities successfully provided answers to the students on the first day of the exams. But on the second day, 10 students were expelled at their centre with prepared answer sheets. Sensing that they had no scope to get the supply from the next day on, the students did not attend the exams any further.
MdJakir Hossain, head teacher of the institution, said the quality of the students was not up to the mark. They were afraid after seeing the expulsion of their fellow examinees. So, they did not take part in the next exams.
SonadangaBhorottoAlim Madrasa Principal M AminulHaque blamed the secretary of the exam centre for the failure of his 20 students.
When asked about the allegation, Azharul Islam, the centre secretary, said he had orders not to allow any forgery in the exam centre. "I just followed the education ministry's directives and did not allow any irregularities. If any students failed for that, I have nothing to do."
[The report is prepared with inputs from Rangpur Correspondent Nazrul Islam Raju, Rajshahi Correspondent Bulbul Habib, Jashore Correspondent Abdul Kader and Satkhira Correspondent Akramul Islam]