HSC Results: Urban-rural divide widens, with 79pc pass rate in Dhaka, 38pc in Manikganj

This year’s Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examination results reveal a significant gap between students in urban and rural areas. Dhaka city is far ahead in both pass rates and the number of GPA-5 achievers, while results outside the capital are disappointing.

This year, only 3.23 per cent of candidates across all education boards achieved GPA-5, the highest grade point average. Meanwhile, around 14.73 per cent of candidates secured a GPA between 4 and below 5. Other grade-wise statistics also indicate that a large proportion of students who passed obtained results in the middle or lower ranges.

The results of the HSC and equivalent examinations were published on Saturday. An analysis shows that the pass rate in Dhaka city was 79.33 per cent. In contrast, the pass rate in Manikganj, which is also under the Dhaka Education Board, was much lower at 38.25 per cent. The pass rates in Shariatpur, Rajbari, Madaripur and Gopalganj were also below 43 per cent.

Of more than 100,000 candidates in Dhaka city, over 88,000 passed. A total of 13,482 students achieved GPA-5. In contrast, of more than 10,000 candidates in Manikganj, only around 4,000 passed, while just 87 achieved GPA-5. In Shariatpur, more than 2,000 students passed, and only 35 secured GPA-5.

Outside Dhaka city, among the 13 districts under the same board, no district other than Gazipur and Narsingdi recorded a pass rate above 60 per cent. The pass rate was over 61 per cent in Gazipur and above 66 per cent in Narsingdi. In Narayanganj, Munshiganj, Tangail, Faridpur and Kishoreganj, the pass rates ranged from 45 to 51 per cent.

An important aspect of these statistics is the overwhelming dominance of Dhaka city in terms of GPA-5 achievers. In districts such as Manikganj, Shariatpur, Rajbari and Madaripur, the number of students securing GPA-5 was limited to just a few dozen.

Such a gap among students who sat for examinations under the same education board with identical question papers also highlights geographical disparities in access to education, the quality of teaching at educational institutions and the learning environment.

This year, a total of 35,948 students achieved GPA-5 across the nine general education boards. Including madrasah and technical education boards, the number exceeded 40,000.

Similar disparities were evident not only under the Dhaka Education Board but also under the Chattogram Education Board. In Chattogram district, the pass rate was above 57 per cent. It was above 43 per cent in Cox’s Bazar, but around 30 per cent in Khagrachhari, 33 per cent in Rangamati and above 41 per cent in Bandarban. In other words, educational institutions in outlying areas are lagging significantly behind those in urban centres.

Significant differences in results were evident not only between urban and rural areas but also among educational institutions within the city. The nationwide average pass rate was 51.62 per cent. However, well-known colleges in the capital recorded much better results.

At Dhaka College, 1,136 students sat for the examination, of whom 1,129 passed, giving the institution a pass rate of 99.38 per cent. As many as 688 students achieved GPA-5. Nearly 61 per cent of those who passed secured the highest grade.

Similarly, 3,256 students sat for the examination from Notre Dame College, of whom 3,218 passed. The pass rate was 98.83 per cent. A total of 2,229 students achieved GPA-5, accounting for more than 69 per cent of those who passed.

Meanwhile, most of the institutions where no students passed are located outside major cities.

An analysis of the results shows that simply being located in a city does not guarantee good results. Rather, institutions in urban areas where the quality of teaching is comparatively better have also performed much better.

People involved in education believe that, alongside classroom teaching, access to coaching centres and private tutors also plays a role in these outcomes. Children from financially well-off families have comparatively greater access to coaching and private tuition.

Many students from financially solvent rural families also enrol in well-known educational institutions in cities in the hope of achieving better results. Children from less affluent families attend comparatively weaker institutions and do not get the opportunity to study in a good learning environment. These inequalities are reflected in examination results.

People involved in education believe that discussions this year should not be limited to pass and fail rates. Greater attention must be paid to how much teaching actually takes place in classrooms and how much students are able to learn there.

According to them, many problems could be addressed if students were taught properly in educational institutions in accordance with the curriculum and syllabus. The reality, however, is that the quality of teaching at a large number of institutions remains questionable. There are shortcomings in teachers’ quality and subject-specific expertise. Many institutions also have vacant teaching and headteacher positions. In addition, students’ regular attendance in classrooms remains inadequate.

As a result, students continue to fall short in completing the syllabus, acquiring subject-specific knowledge and preparing for examinations.

Other issues have also come under discussion, including stricter evaluation of answer scripts, inadequate teaching at educational institutions, students’ lack of preparation and difficult question papers.

Speaking at the Secretariat on Saturday, Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon said that shortcomings in students’ learning had become evident. Steps would be taken to address the issue in the future.

Manzoor Ahmed, emeritus professor at BRAC University, said there was little reason to be surprised by this year’s results, given the overall state of secondary and higher secondary education. Rather, the educational disparity between rural and urban areas had become even more apparent.

No effective initiative had been taken to make up for the learning losses students suffered during the Covid pandemic. As a result, students moved from one grade to the next with gaps in their learning. Yet they were not adequately prepared to study the lessons in the following grades. In this way, learning gaps accumulated from one grade to another.

Manzoor Ahmed said students performed comparatively poorly in English and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) this year because there were not enough teachers for these subjects. As a result, students were being deprived of proper instruction.

Alongside this, poverty was also causing many students to drop out of mainstream education. The results this year reflect the overall condition of the education system that has emerged from all these factors.

There is no immediate solution to this situation, he said. Addressing the problems will require comprehensive planning and medium- and long-term initiatives.