Corporation school students prove their mettle

Published Date: 24/05/2009 - (NIE)

G Saravanan

Chennai, May 23: BRAVING all odds to prove that the civic body-run schools can also bring in excellent results every year, the Corporation school children have secured a pass percentage of 82.5 in the SSLC examinations that were declared on Saturday and incidentally, the figure was higher than the over all State pass percentage this year. Not only the Corporation schools secured more (pass) percentage this time, they also improved their performance by a whopping three per cent when comparing to last year pass figures. Interestingly, Agalya Tharani, a student studying in Nungambakkam Corporation Girls Higher Secondary School, missed the State first rank by a whisker of six marks. Her physically challenged father works as a chemistry teacher in the same school.

Adding feather to its cap, Kilpauk Corporation Higher Secondary School, which sent 86 students for SSLC examinations in March, obtained a cent per cent result. Mayor M Subramanian who greeted the Corporation school toppers at Ripon Buildings here on Saturday told reporters that for the first time the class 10th results have touched an all time high of 82.5 per cent. During March last, 9009 students including 5091 girls appeared for the board exams. The girls as usual outshined boys and recorded a pass percentage of 85.5 per cent and boys recorded only 78.7 per cent. Besides 15 students secured centum in Mathematics and seven students obtained maximum marks in Science. The Mayor had announced earlier, 924 students who have secured more than 400 marks will be given cash awards of Rs 1,000 each . As per the budget announcement, school toppers will be taken for an educational tour to parts of north India, Mayor Subramanian said.

Student Agalya Tharani of Nungambakkam Corporation School came first among the Corporation school toppers securing 490 out of 500. Daughter of a tailor, student Zarina Begum of Buddha Street Corporation Girls School came second with a total of 484. P Aparna of Nungambakkam Corporation School came third with 482 marks. Her father is a makeup man based in T Nagar. Following Kilpauk Corporation School, corporation higher secondary schools at Teynampet and Wall Tax Road bagged the second and third spots among the civicbody run 65 schools.