PANAJI
A sharp nearly 12 per cent decline in the number of students registering for this year's Higher Secondary School Certificate examination (Class XII) conducted by the Goa Board has raised concerns.
Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (GBSHSE) chairman, Bhagirath Shetye said 17,498 students have registered for the exam which will be held in February-March this year.
This is over 2,300 fewer than last year and there is a mismatch with the figures of successful candidates of the Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE) conducted by the Board two years ago.
The reasons for the fall in numbers may have to be investigated a Board official said, adding that the issue will be discussed with the Education Department.
Among students registered for the HSSCE this year, girls outnumber boys by nearly 1000. Of the 17,498 students registered, 9213 are girl students while 8285 are boys, a reversal of the gender ratio last year.
Meanwhile, a top Board official who did not want his identity disclosed said, the decline in the number of students taking the HSSC examination this year is a matter which will have to be seriously analysed.
There could be multiple reasons including outmigration, students opting for career oriented diploma courses including engineering diploma courses at Polytechnic colleges as well as skill courses at the ITIs and private institutes, the official added.
However these factors will have to be probed, the official said, adding that it will have to be established whether dropping out of higher studies at the SSCE level is also a factor which would be of concern.
As per the schedule announced by the Board, the HSSC examination will be conducted from February 28 to March 18.
SCIENCE PREFERRED
A majority of the students registered for the HSSCE this year have opted for the science stream.
According to the figures provided by the Board, this year the Science stream has 5,733 students registered to take the exam.
For the Commerce stream, 5191 students have registered while 4,144 have opted for the Arts stream.
The vocational branch has the lowest number of just 2,430 students.
