Reported By:
| Edited By: Kanchan Srivastava |Source: DNA |Updated: Apr 19, 2012, 10:30 PM IST
Students often go through school and college with a distaste for mathematics, but the trend seems to be shifting gradually, if the latest Higher Secondary Education (HSC) statistics are any indication.
Of 80,419 students appearing for the 2012 HSC science exams, a whopping 74,718 (93.4%) in the Mumbai division (Mumbai, Thane and Raigad) chose maths. The figure includes both PCM (Physics-Chemistry-Maths) and PCMB (Physics-Chemistry-Maths-Biology) students.
Data from the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) reveals that the trend is the same across all the divisions in Maharashtra. Nagpur has the highest number of maths-inclined students (94.6 %), and Mumbai comes next (see table).
Of 4.22 lakh HSC science students in the state in 2012, over 82% students have chosen mathematics (PCM+PCMB) while the biology group (PCB) had just 75,520 (18%) pupils.
Aurangabad and Latur divisions could be termed as an exception, where the percentage of maths students is below 70 and the PCB group makes up a 1/3 chunk.
The PCMB group forms the biggest chunk in the state (59%). According to MSBSHSE figures, in Mumbai and Amravati such students account for over 70%.
The figure is highest in the Nagpur division, with 77%. The statistics were similar in the 2011 exam in all the divisions.
Junior college teacher Anil Deshmukh said, “Most of the students remain undecided about their future, and want to keep their options open for medicine and engineering, and so they choose PCMB. Moreover, biology is not a tough subject.”
Mayank Mahale, an HSC student preparing for both medicine and engineering, admits, “Even if I get selected for medicine, maths would be useful if I go for an MBA.”
BN Pandey, a maths teacher from Lilavati Bai Poddar Junior College, said, “Students of the PCB group can leave maths and choose economics or geography or any other subject a junior college offers. But for the pure maths group, only the bifocal option is available; however, it offers fewer seats (nearly 5,000 in Mumbai) for which the cut-off is also high. Remaining students who want to pursue careers in engineering or architecture, have no option but to take the PCMB group.”
