Thiruvananthapuram region tops CBSE exams for 10th year in a row

Only 150 students have failed in Class X, and only 10 have not cleared Class XII. There are over 1,400 schools in Thiruvananthapuram region. The regional centre was set up in 2014. Earlier, the area was under the Chennai Regional Centre. Since 2014, Thiruvananthapuram has remained the top performer in the CBSE board exams.

Dr Indira Rajan, secretary, National Council of CBSE Schools, alluded the region’s success to consistent efforts made by school managements, teachers and bright students. “Teachers are trained on par with the board’s standards and requirements. There is a sense of competition among schools and students face the board exams with ease as they are trained with multiple model examinations.”

Asked about students’ stress management, Rajan said, “Counsellors are there in each school and not many students have reported to be under pressure in recent years. The nature of students have changed and the managements have become more student-friendly.”

The achievement of Thiruvananthapuram CBSE schools comes amid criticism over Kerala Board students gaining an upper hand in securing admission to colleges in Delhi University because of high scores in Class XII.

Prof C Raveendranath, former education minister of Kerala, said that students in the state face a social pressure to study. “To study, gain skills and expertise is an innate calling among them. Students in Kerala excel in studies as basic education and literary setup is good. In Kerala Board, the pedagogy is different and students are urged to think critically and be socially inclined rather than relying on textbook knowledge.”