July 15, 2008	Tuesday	Rajab 11, 1429

KARACHI, July 14: The overall pass percentage of general group in Class X annual examinations this year has reduced by over 12 per cent as compared to the results of last year’s exams of general group candidates.

The pass percentage of regular and private candidates of the general group that was more than 71 per cent in last year’s secondary school certificate exams, conducted by the Board of Secondary Education Karachi, dropped to 59.23 per cent this year.

Girl students not only clinched the top three positions in the exams but also secured the maximum number of A-One grades. Of the total 171 candidates, 165 regular and six private, who secured A-One grade, 131 were girls.

Of 32,919 candidates, 25,545 regular and 7,374 private, who appeared in the exams, 19,497 candidates, 15,226 regular and 4,271 private, were declared successful.

Fifteen hundred and eighty four candidates, 1,280 regular and 304 private, got A grade; 4,326 candidates, 3,167 regular and 1,159 private, obtained B grade; 7,076 candidates, 5,648 regular and 1,428 private, got C grade; 5,458 candidates, 4,489 regular and 969 private, secured D grade, while 575 candidates, 477 regular and 98 private, were placed in E grade.

Hira Qavi Khan (Roll No 711786) of St Patrick’s Girls High School got the first position in the examination with 767 out of 850 marks (90.24 per cent); Mahrukh Mohammad Idrees (Roll No 706002) of St Lawrence’s Convent Girls Secondary School secured second position with 766 marks (90.12 pc) and Sadia Aamir Nadeem (Roll No 711211) of PN Girls Secondary School, Karsaz, obtained third position with 764 marks (89.88 pc).

The position-holders were of the view that a mushroom growth of coaching centres in the city could be discouraged only if the students attended their classes regularly and their teachers imparted them education with full devotion and a missionary zeal at their respective educational institutions.

Besides, they were critical about the frequent and prolonged load-shedding that they experienced at home while preparing for exams and at their examination centres.

Hira Qavi Khan and Mahrukh Idrees were talking to newsmen at a ceremony organised in their honour by the Karachi Press Club. Parents of both the students were also present.

The third position-holder, Sadia Aamir, who could not attend the function, was reportedly out of the city. The Sindh director-general of colleges, Dr Rafique Ahmed Siddiqui, was also present.

Asked if she attended any coaching centre, Ms Khan replied in the negative, saying that since her school teachers were helpful and cooperative she neither took tuition nor got admission to any coaching centre. She said she intended to do BBA after passing her intermediate examinations from St Joseph’s College.

However, the second position-holder, Ms Idrees, said that she had taken tuition only once. Presently memorizing the Holy Quran at a religious seminary, she said, she wanted to become a lawyer.