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While private schools scored an overall 87.17 pass percentage (0.64 per cent decrease over last year’s results),the figure factored in results of students who took the examinations abroad. Results of the later group showed an average of more than 90 per cent,Education Secretary Rina Ray said.

“If you adjust the data for private schools and count in Delhi’s private schools only,it would be around 86.42 per cent,which is less than government schools,” she said. “I am very happy that we performed at par with private schools. For years we were looked down upon,and now its proven that government schools are also good.”

Interestingly,both girls and boys registered an overall pass percent of 87.1 in government schools,Education department officials said.

Disabled candidates’ result added to the city’s pride,Ray said. While Anuj Goel from Rajkiya Pratibha Vikas Vidyalaya,scored the highest,96.75 per cent,among the city’s government school students,he also topped among 1,034 disabled children who took the exams (see report alongside).

“Our record in giving admission to differently-abled children is the highest,” Ray said. “Though the improvement might not be much,it is a big psychological boost for us. We have worked really hard.”

Education Minister Arvinder Singh said government schools have in fact now bridged the gap and are at par with private schools’ performance.

Last year,the difference between the pass percentage of public schools and government schools was 2.11 — public schools showed an overall pass percentage of 87.81,and government schools clocked 85.70.

Ray said the improvement for government schools was a result of the many schemes the government has initiated. More than the increase,it was coming at par with the public schools that was more important,Ray said. The CBSE Class XII exam results were declared for the Delhi,Guwahati and Allahabad zones on Friday.