Bhubaneswar, The pass rate of Odisha Adarsha Vidyalayas has been steadily declining. While the pass rate for Class 12 was 99.09% in the 2020-21 academic year, it dropped significantly to 63.20% in 2023-24. This decline is not limited to Class 12 alone; the Class 10 board exam results have also witnessed a similar trend. The pass rate, which was 95.71% in 2020-21, has now fallen to 82.26%. As the results continue to decline, questions are being raised about the effectiveness of the school and mass education department. However, concerns are growing about what the Odisha Adarsha Vidyalaya Organization (OAVO) is doing to address this issue.
Notably, there are 315 Odisha Adarsha Vidyalayas in the state, with more than 230 of them offering Class 10 education. Currently, more than 166 schools have Class 12, while over 16 institutions that only had Class 11 will introduce Class 12 from this academic year. A closer look at Class 10 results over the past four years shows a steady decline:
2020-21: 98.11percent
2021-22: 95.71percent
2022-23: 90percent (dropping further to 85.59percent)
2023-24: 82.26percent
This marks a total decline of 15.85 percentage points over four years.
Similarly, for Class 12:
2020-21: 99.09percent
2021-22: A drastic drop of 30.58 percentage points to 68.51percent
2022-23: Further decline to 65.67percent
2023-24: 63.20percent
Over four years, the pass rate has dropped by 35.89 percentage points.
While the School & Mass Education Department is focusing on improving government high school results in board exams through district- and block-level initiatives, counseling, and parental meetings, similar efforts have not been seen for Odisha Adarsha Vidyalayas. Despite repeated declines in results, there has been little focus on addressing the issue.
Reasons Behind the Declining Results
A senior OAVO official pointed out two key reasons for the declining pass rate, particularly in Class 12:
1. Lack of alternative streams: In Class 12, students who secured the highest marks in Class 10 often do not get admission, as there is no option other than the Science stream. This forces students with lower marks into the Science stream, leading to poor performance and high failure rates.
2. Quota-based admissions: Due to recommendations from MLAs and MPs, many students are admitted under quotas, regardless of their academic ability. This has resulted in weaker students struggling with academics, affecting overall results.
Although the Odisha Adarsha Vidyalayas aim to provide CBSE education to rural students in English, the authorities have not taken adequate steps to improve the system. The government claims that efforts are being made, such as recruiting new teachers, setting up science labs, computer labs, and smart classrooms. Additionally, students are encouraged to take vocational subjects like painting, IT, and physical education. However, there is no concrete strategy to improve pass rates.
Teacher Shortage and Management Issues
Many schools are heavily dependent on guest teachers, and some lack sufficient faculty members.
Several schools are being managed by overburdened principals.
The lack of well-trained teachers is affecting the quality of education.
Despite the state government’s vision of providing quality English-medium CBSE education, officials seem indifferent to addressing these concerns. Meanwhile, students are being given extra coaching, particularly in Mathematics, through Khan Academy. However, without systemic improvements, results may continue to decline.