Telangana Inter First Year Results: 50pc Students Fail Exams

Hyderabad: The Telangana State Board of Intermediate Education (TSBIE) recently completed 1st-year exams, with 51 per cent of students from the 2020-21 batch failing to meet the minimum passing marks across the state.

In fact, according to the statistics, only about 30% of students from Medak and Vikarabad passed the exams, with the majority of students failing to meet the minimum requirements. A youngster committed suicide in the Nalgonda area on Friday by leaping in front of a moving train since she was unable to perform well at school.

"80% of my classmates failed, including me. Even the ones who passed just managed to scrape through," Raghu*, an MPC (Maths, Physics, and Chemistry) student at Sri Krishnaveni Degree College in Adilabad district, stated.

Raghu, like a large number of other students, finds himself in this tough situation. They were unable to grasp their lessons due to the online medium, and they were occasionally unable to access their classes due to faulty internet connectivity.

"The network would suddenly go off and I wouldn’t be able to study. I did some agriculture work when I was unable to attend classes. Now the government wants to conduct the 1st year and 2nd year exams simultaneously, and the pressure on us has increased," he continued.

The state board is considering scheduling re-examinations for the 2020-21 class in March 2022, in conjunction with their second-year exams. This would imply that the selected students would have to take both their first and second-year examinations at the same time.

Another student, Lokur*, from the Krishnaveni college in Kothagudem, added that "There is no internet in our village at all, and hence I could only manage to purchase books and study by myself, but that wasn’t enough. My only option now is to apply for reevaluation or write all the exams in March."

Venkat Balmoor, president of the Telangana National Student Union of India (NSUI), told the media that as he and his colleagues were on their way to visit TSIBE Secretary Omar Jaleel, the student activists were apprehended and arrested at the Narayanguda police station. He mentioned that Jaleel had agreed to the meeting but then cancelled it.

"We were mainly concerned about the future of these students. The syllabus was not over and the irregularity in classes due to COVID-19 makes it worse. Aside from the students in Nalgonda and another in Nizamabad, has taken his life," he added.

Educators, activists, and parents from throughout the state have spoken out against the state's decision to hold examinations in this climate. The NSUI addressed a letter to the TSIBE, but it was to no avail.

According to Balmoor, at least 80% of the 51% of students that failed came from rural, underprivileged homes. "With 2nd year exams due in three months, the students are likely to feel pressurised and could resort to drastic measures."

This isn't the first time the pandemic has had a negative influence on schooling in Telanagana and elsewhere. However, as Lokur remarked, "If the rules are not relaxed in the state at this juncture, this could very well be the end of their education."

As of now, the TSIBE has not announced any changes to the next exam schedule or given any assurances that the students would be promoted. The issue is proving to be a significant concern, with 51% of youngsters affected.

Despite the media's continuous attempts, the secretary of the TSIBE remained unavailable for comment.

(Note: *student names have been changed to protect their identities.)