DNA Micro Edit: Will a split in division ease board's burden?

The Mumbai division of the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) stood last among the nine regions with an overall pass percentage of 88.21 per cent. While the overall results for the division improved slightly as compared to that of 2016, the Mumbai division still failed to cross the 90 per cent mark.

Mumbai's board results has always been the talking point among educationists, parents and students. While the overall performance of the division has not been great, with smaller divisions like Konkan and Amravati doing relatively well, officials say that the sheer volume of students is one of the main reasons why the division has not performed up to expectations. Over 20 per cent of the total number of students that appear for the exam are from the Mumbai division. As per board officials, the high number of students appearing from the division, coupled with a higher number of private candidates, has led to poor scores. Officials also said a large number of students who register for the exams do not consistently appear for all papers, which also affects the overall results.

Another prominent reason that experts attribute this trend to is the fact that a majority of students who take up Science and Commerce often prepare for competitive exams, thus focussing less on the boards. The craze to enrol for engineering, medicine and other professional courses is only increasing among city students, which might have led to a lower pass percentage. One of the solutions to improve the division's performance is to split the division as suggested by experts. The government can also frame an admission policy that would give equal weightage to board scores.