Dept. to implement 20-point programme to improve SSLC and II PU results

DSEL implements 20-point program to boost SSLC and II PU exam results, focusing on syllabus completion and student support.

The Department of School Education and Literacy (DSEL) has taken steps to implement a 20-point programme in high schools and pre-university colleges to improve the results of SSLC and II PU examinations, respectively, to be held in March and April 2025.

The government has taken this step in the wake of a sharp decline in the SSLC results in 2023-24. The programme was ordered after a meeting of department officials, the Deputy Commissioners of all districts, and the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of the zilla panchayats, chaired by the Principal Secretary of the DSEL.

In the wake of other examination reforms, including webcasting of the examination process and installing CCTV cameras in each examination hall, SSLC results fell sharply in 2023-24 to 73.40% from 83.89% in the previous year. At the same time, the II PU results increased by 6.48 percentage points to 81.15% as against the previous year’s result.

Under the 20-point programme, the department has instructed all schools and colleges to complete SSLC and II PU syllabus by the end of December. Wake-up calls should be made every morning or evening to check if students are actively practising. Every morning or evening, a special class should be organised for one subject before or after the school and college session. It has been ordered that parents’ meetings should be held every 15 days and the progress report of students should be informed to them.

To eliminate the fear of exams among students, all unit tests should be conducted live in schools/colleges where webcasting system is available. To strengthen the learning of students with slow learning abilities, they should be associated with students who have made progress in learning (buddy pairing).

However, teachers have expressed objection to the implementation of the 20-point programme. They said that the government should have considered the opinion of teachers and lecturers before implementing it.

“Teachers are already suffering from stress due to the implementation of the midday meals programme effectively, wake-up calls for children at 5 a.m., organising special classes, conducting group study and night classes, quizzes, exams, result analysis, action plans, remedial teaching, office work, etc. Now, pressure is being put on teachers again to implement the 20-point programme,” a teacher lamented.