KARACHI, July 31: The Board of Secondary Education, Karachi, on Saturday announced the results of SSC Science, Part-II (Class X) annual examinations 2004, with an overall pass percentage of 73.51.

The top three positions were secured by students of private schools, including one boy student. The number of successful candidates was recorded at about 11 per cent higher than last year.

As many as 88,355 candidates, including 38,102 girls, appeared in the exams, out of which 64,950, including 29,921 girls, were declared pass. An increase of 3,619 was registered in the number of candidates as compared to last year.

According to a BSE notification, Sana Anwar, roll no 326625, of National High School, clinched first position by securing 820 marks out of 850. While, the second and third positions were bagged by Huma Jamil, roll no 328158, of Ataturk Public School; and Syed Talha Wasif, roll no 263959, of BVS Parsi High School, securing 810 and 799 marks respectively.

Speaking at a ceremony held at the board, position holders maintained they were happy with the outcome, which, according to them, was per their expectations, giving credit to hard work, attention of teachers and support and prayers of their parents.

However, the mother of a girl student of Al-Saquib Public School, Nazimabad and her sister were upset over the result, saying it had caused a big upset to her daughter, who had secured 97 per cent marks in Class IX examination last year and was second to none.

The woman suspected a discrepancy in compilation of the result, saying otherwise her daughter, Farheen Ahmad, would have secured one of the top three positions. The candidate, as per claim of her mother, a government schoolteacher, remained short of about 20 per cent marks in Class X, which was unbelievable, keeping in view her hard work and hopes.

Talking to Dawn, a senior official of the board at around 2.30pm said the board would look into the woman's claim only when she or the candidate in question apply formally to the board about the problem. "We can go for an emergency scrutiny of the case to remove the element of doubt or alleged mistakes in the results, provided we are approached," he added.

Speaking at the ceremony, Brig (retd) Shafi Ullah Qureshi, chairman of the board, who handed over the marks sheets to the position holders, said he and his team at the board had tried to make the result as transparent as possible. "The results may not be fault-free, but we will keep trying to improve it further in the coming years," he added.

Speaking about students of government schools, the executive district officer (education), city government, Gul Muhammad Hajiano, said it was really a matter of concern for him and teachers of those schools that their students were failing to secure merit positions in the matriculation examinations.

"I am not jealous of private schools," he said, adding he was working on a plan to gain the lost reputation of government schools.

Meanwhile, the EDO (higher education), Prof Rais Alvi, said the position holders and all others who had passed the SSC examination would surely find government colleges a better place to continue their further studies at. "Unlike government schools, government colleges are on the top with respect to their academic activities," he added.

He informed that the admission process at colleges would begin within a week's time, and the government had planned to accommodate all students clearing the SSC examination.

The BSE controller of examination, Muhammad Salim Khan, said the compilation of results of about 90,000 students at a time, and printing the same was a gigantic task, which had been done within the timeframe given by the government. He said it was likely that results would be placed on their website of the board from next year.

The first position holder, Sana Anwar, said that she had secured about 96 per cent marks in the Class IX exams, and expected the position. Sana, who wants to be an engineer, said the existing examination system was meant for securing maximum marks and not for acquisition of knowledge, which should be rectified.

Huma Jamil, who secured second position, said the question papers were balanced, but there was room for more objective questions, particularly in the physics paper. She wanted to pursue further education in medicine.

Syed Talha Wasif, the third position holder, who wants to be a chartered accountant referred to his interaction with teachers at schools, saying a student adhering to academic discipline did not to worry about private tutors or coaching centres.

The breakdown of successful boy candidates include: A-1 grade 2,436, A grade 5,949, B grade 8,368, C grade 10,660, D grade 7,049, E grade 520, and Pass 47.

While for girls, those in A-1 grade include 4,289, A grade 7,338, B grade 8,445, C grade 7,382, D grade 2,406, E grade 42, and pass 19.