The pass rate in this year's HSC examination of Chittagong Education Board has gone up but the number of GPA 5 scorers has been falling consecutively for the last three years.
This year, a total of 2,646 students obtained GPA 5 in the board while the number was 2,772 in 2013 and 3,155 in 2012. Besides, 77,526 students sat for the HSC exam while the pass rate was 70.06, up from 61.22 in 2013.
Among the students securing GPA 5 were 1,357 males and 1,289 females.
Examination Controller Dr Pizus Dutta of Chittagong Education Board said the creative question system was introduced in HSC level last year for the first time, and the students faced the system in Bangla exam and one of the group subjects.
“This is why the number of students obtaining GPA 5 was less than that in 2012. This year, students faced creative questions in four subjects which might have led to the decrease in the number of GPA 5 scorers,” he said.
“In the greater Chittagong region, the pass rate in Cox’s Bazar was 72 while it was 71.17 in Chittagong district and metropolitan areas. Overall judgement shows this year's HSC result is better as the students had performed well in creative method,” he added.
Farida Yasmin, a humanities student from Government Women College in Chittagong who got GPA 3.80, said she studied the four subjects extensively but failed to ensure a good GPA.
Professor Jesmin Akhter, acting principal of the college, told the Dhaka Tribune: “It is easy to obtain pass mark in a subject in the creative question system but what is hard is to score 80% marks. This explains why the pass rate is increasing but the number of GPA 5 scorers is going down.”
Aeysha Siddiqua Tamanna, a business studies student achieving GPA 3.80 from Agrabad Girls College, said teachers of the subjects are under creative question system failed to deliver lessons appropriately which forced her to seek additional guidance from coaching centres.
Associate Professor Shahid Uddin Mahmud, head of Islamic History and Culture Department at Patiya Government College, suggested teachers should be given more training in order to help them become more competent in teaching students in the creative method.
Meanwhile, teachers of Government Hazi Muhammad Mohsin College, which produced the highest number of GPA 5 scorers in Chittagong board, said students having poor preparations for the exam were blaming the creative system.
Assistant Professor Mohammad Abul Bashar of Botany Department at the college said that any student can obtain GPA 5 if he studies properly.
495 students of the college got GPA 5, and 1,356 students out of 1,403 passed.
Three institutions in the board secured a 100% pass rate - Ispahini Public School and College, Faujdarhat Cadet College and CUFCO School and College - while none passed from Ideal School and College in Patiya.
Faujdarhat Cadet College secured the top position in the board, with 43 students out of 45 securing GPA 5, while Chittagong Government College came second, with 466 GPA 5 scorers out of 752 examinees.