Where are the students going?

Srinagar, July 14: The results of the class 11th annual 2024 examination have revealed a significant drop in the transition rate of students from class 10th to class 11th in Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (BOSE) affiliated schools.

According to official figures provided by theBOSE, the enrollment and success rates have shown a marked decrease compared to the previous year.

A total of 1,23,026 students from across J&K appeared for the class 11th annual 2024 examinations. Of these, 88,396 students successfully qualified, with 43,788 boys and 44,608 girls passing the exams.

In contrast, for the class 10th annual examination in 2023, 1.48 lakh students were enrolled of which 1.18 lakh were declared as qualified. The pass percentage was 79.89 percent.

The BOSE figures indicate that 63,762 boys and 59,266 girls appeared in the class 11th regular (2024) exams of which 43,788 boys and 44,608 girls have qualified it.

During the previous year’s class 10th examination, 77,422 boys and 71,279 girls were enrolled and the pass percentage was 78.23 percent for boys and 81.68 percent for girls.

The dip in enrollment during the transition from class 10th to class 11th is calculated to be 18 percent.

This decline is particularly concerning when considering that the students who had to reappear in some subjects after the declaration of the class 10th results in 2023 were allowed provisional admission to class 11th.

These students, after clearing their bi-annual exams, joined class 11th as regular students.

“In the class 10th bi-annual 2023 exam, around 43,862 students were enrolled of which 12,701 were declared qualified. These students were allowed to appear as regular students in the class 11th annual 2024 examination,” a BOSE official said.

Ideally, the number of students appearing in the class 11th exams should have been 131,492, considering the students who cleared the bi-annual exams.

However, only 123,026 students appeared, indicating a decrease of 8,466 students.

While this decrease cannot be outright termed as a dropout rate, several factors could be contributing to this trend.

Over the years, it has been observed that after passing the class 10th examination, many students from BOSE-affiliated schools migrate to CBSE-affiliated schools or shift to Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) to pursue technical courses.

Talking to Greater Kashmir, noted academician Prof Tariq Ahmad Chalkoo said the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP)-2020 has played a significant role.

“The introduction of skill-oriented education has empowered students to acquire skills in different institutes. Many students are migrating to CBSE-affiliated schools, and ITIs which are now part of the National Skill Development Council,” Prof Chalkoo said.

He said that this shift towards skill-oriented courses is a positive development.

“It is a wise move because skills are essential for these young boys and girls. Over the years, traditional courses have seen a decline in interest. Students shifting to ITIs and other institutes also pursue online degrees equivalent to regular degrees,” he said.