In Kerala, government and aided schools account for over 90 percent of the total student population. Specifically, within the High School section, government and aided schools hold a larger share at 94 percent. It's worth noting that the higher secondary classes now incorporate approximately 47,000 newly enrolled students, in addition to the usual progression from upper primary classes. However, across government, aided, and unaided management, there has been a net reduction of 20,000 students from High School to Higher Secondary classes.
There is a prevailing perception that transitioning to State Board education in High School leads to chances to score higher marks. The grades achieved in Higher Secondary serve as a crucial determinant for gaining admission to undergraduate programs, both professional and otherwise. As a result, the quality of education in Kerala is significantly influenced by the education provided in government and government aided High Schools and Higher Secondary Schools, particularly due to the substantial student population in these institutions.
In terms of measuring the quality of school education in Kerala, one key aspect is the competency of students in securing a promising career. There are several indicators that become apparent as students step out of the schools.
- At the all-India level, there are typically nine to ten students vying for each seat in the JEE (Advanced) admission test. In 2022, out of the 1.55 lakh students eligible to take the JEE (Advanced), only 2800 were from Kerala. The percentage of Kerala students securing admission to IITs stands at a mere one percent of the total seats of around 17,000.
- It is evident that entrance coaching centres play a pivotal role in helping students succeed in admission tests. States with prominent coaching centres tend to have a higher representation of students in prestigious institutions like IITs. Intensive crash courses are also conducted in March and April to prepare students for these entrance exams. In Kerala, most of the coaching centres predominantly aim to facilitate admissions into professional educational institutions within the state.
- The level of proficiency required for admission tests is equivalent to that of Higher Secondary education. Many students who appear for the Kerala Engineering Architecture Medical (KEAM) entrance examination rely on additional coaching. While it's often attributed to the competitive nature of securing top ranks, these coaching centres cover topics within the Higher Secondary syllabus, or what should have been part of it. A large number of coaching centres survive because of the dependence of students on such centres. The competition to attract students is evident in full-page advertisements in leading newspapers released by the coaching centres.
- In the past, higher ranks were necessary to secure admission in engineering courses due to high demand. However, today, many seats remain vacant, and the entrance examination serves as a qualifying criterion, with a minimum score required for eligibility. Specifically, a minimum of 10 marks is needed in each of the two papers of the Engineering Entrance Examination in Kerala (Paper I – Physics and Chemistry, and Paper II – Mathematics).
- The relatively low entry barrier may impact the quality of students enrolling in professional programs, especially when the number of applicants is limited. In the case of the engineering entrance examination, each of the two papers consists of 120 questions. Correct answers are awarded four marks, while incorrect ones result in a deduction of one mark. By correctly answering just three questions in each paper and leaving the rest blank, a student becomes eligible for admission. Virtually all students who take the entrance examination meet the eligibility criteria for engineering admission. Presently, the real competition lies in choosing a college and selecting a stream of study.
- The SSLC exams represent a significant milestone for students before they move on to their preferred areas of study. In 2023, 4.19 lakh students participated in the exams, and 4.18 lakh became eligible for higher education. The examination format is designed to be student-friendly. The pass percentage has improved from 94.17% in 2015 to an impressive 99.7% in 2023. This high success rate is attributed to the continuous evaluation system and the options provided in the written exam question papers, which allow students more flexibility.
- According to the Results of Secondary Examinations published by the Ministry of Education, Government of India, the national pass percentage for Secondary examinations in 2022 was 85%. Kerala achieved the highest pass percentage at an impressive 99.85%. Among the 12 State Boards, three – Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Telangana – came close to Kerala's performance with pass percentages of 96.96%, 98.30%, and 97.56% respectively. While gaining admission to IITs is not the sole objective of school education, students from these three states accounted for 23% of the total seats in IITs. The share of Kerala was just one percent.
- The performance of students in Kerala's Higher Secondary Education (HSE) showed fluctuations over the past ten years. The pass percentage was the lowest at 71% in 2016-17 and reached the highest at 86% in 2020-21. In 2022-23, the pass percentage in Kerala was 83.68%. There were 11 states where students appeared for higher secondary examinations in greater numbers than in Kerala. Six of these states achieved higher pass percentages than Kerala. In 2022, out of 2803 students who qualified for the JEE (Advanced) from Kerala, only 181 gained admissions to the IITs, resulting in a success rate of approximately six percent. In contrast, all 11 states that fielded more students than Kerala in the Higher Secondary examinations recorded higher success rates. Rajasthan led the pack with 15.82%, followed by Gujarat, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra. The success rate in cracking the JEE (Advanced) serves as an indicator of the education quality in the respective states. Unfortunately, Kerala's performance in this regard is notably lower.
- Though 30% is the minimum pass requirement, only very few students passed with marks below 40% in 2023. One student in every six students was graded as “outstanding” in all subjects as they scored A+ grades in all subjects. In 2021, the Covid-affected year, one in every three students got A+ grades in all subjects.
There are several questions that need answers if a constructive effort is to be made to improve the quality of education.
- How does the curriculum compare to that of states where student performance is better?
- Should students rely solely on coaching centres for improved performance?
- Are the 210 working days fully utilized in an academic year?
- Similar to the IT and Tourism sectors, can the education sector also be safeguarded from losing school days?
- Should the examination system undergo a comprehensive review to better assess acquired knowledge?
- Why is there a need for moderation to increase the pass percentage?
- While it's acknowledged that not all students come from the same social and economic background, does this mean that education shouldn't strive to uplift them with additional effort?
These questions, among others, are well-known to political leadership and administrators. However, convenient answers are often chosen due to the absence of fact-based information. The school education system is exhibiting undesirable symptoms due to the questionable quality of education in the state. As mentioned in Part I of this series, a significant number of children who spent their formative years here have opted to study elsewhere, and around 20,000 students did not progress to Higher Secondary classes after their secondary education in Kerala. These factors have had an impact on higher education at the college level as well.
(To be continued in Part IV)