Success rate in PEC 95.18pc, in Ebtedayee 92.94 pc

The results of this year’s Primary Education Completion (PEC) and its equivalent Ebtedayee exams were published with a 95.18 per cent pass rate in the PEC and 92.94 per cent in the Ebtedayee exams.

Primary and mass education minister Mostafizur Rahman handed over the results to the prime minister Sheikh Hasina at Ganabhaban around 10:00am on Saturday. Education minister Nurul Islam was also present.

In 2016, the passing rate of students in the PEC examination was 98.51 per cent while 95.50 per cent in the Ebtedayee examination.

Some 262,609 students obtained the highest grade, GPA-5, in the PEC examination, which is 10.23 per cent of the total candidates. But the number of GPA-5 achievers in Ebtedaye examination is only 5,023, which is 2.12 per cent of the total examinees.

The performance of girls is slightly better than that of boys as 95.40 per cent girls passed the PEC examination, while 94.93 per cent boys came out successful.

The PEC and its equivalent Ebtedayee exams began on 20 November and ended on 26 November across the country with the participation of 30,96,075 students, including 294,361 Ebtedaye examinees.

Expressing satisfaction at the pass rate, prime minister Sheikh Hasina said, “The pass rate is good, our students are meritorious.”

She said students regained their confidence by appearing in the exams, which is essential.

Returning to power in 1996, the Awami League government took up a programme to free every district of illiteracy but unfortunately the programme fell flat when BNP-Jamaat government came to power in 2001, she said.

“We had increased the literacy rate to 65.5 per cent from 45 per cent in five years, but the rate dipped again. We were awarded by UNESCO for enhancing the literacy rate. Bangladesh went back almost to the dark ages during 2001 to 2008,” Hasina said.

“We’ve taken initiative again after forming the government following the 2008 election. So, the literacy rate now stands at 72 per cent according to official statistics. Actually, the rate is higher than that,” she said.

The prime minister said the dropout rate has declined and students are becoming attentive to their studies due to the government’s steps.