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Of over 6,000 students who sat for the entrance test to the meritorious schools of Punjab, only half could clear it leaving around 1,500 seats vacant. The results put forward the poor state of education in Punjab schools.
The candidates who sat for the test were those who scored 80 per cent or more marks in the class X Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) examination conducted this year. Passing the Common Entrance Test (CET) with 50 per cent marks would qualify them for a seat in one of the nine meritorious schools of the state – one each in Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Patiala, Bathinda, Amritsar, SAS Nagar, Sangrur, Ferozepur and Gurdaspur. These schools give free education for classes XI and XII, accommodation and residential facilities.
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“The very purpose of the test has been defeated. It exposes the state’s decision to grant grace marks to students as a pathetic attempt to increase the pass percentage,” said a principal of a meritorious school.
According to sources in the state education board, seven marks were given to all students and 27 marks to those who did poorly in one subject.
“Now, there were students who performed well in four of the five subjects they sat for and may have failed or scored less in the remaining subject which brought down their aggregate to less than 80 per cent,” said the principal. “But with the additional marks, many students benefitted and were able to show 80 per cent and above in their marksheets when infact they deserved less.”
Over 1 lakh students benefitted from the grace marks policy, according to data from the education department.
The poor performance was despite the fact that around 70 per cent of the questions in the CET were from the papers given by the students in the Class X Board examinations, according to a source.
“Students were tested in Mathematics, English and Science and carried 50 marks each. That they could not score even half this is disappointing,” said the principal.
Project Director Meritorious school, Punjab, Major General (retd.) KAS Bhullar and Punjab Education Minister Dr. Daljit Singh Cheema could not be reached for their comments.
