The Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB) has announced record-breaking results for this year's Class 10 examinations. However, mathematics continues to be a significant stumbling block for students across the state.
High Failure Rates in Basic Mathematics
Official data reveals that basic mathematics, which is generally perceived as easier than standard mathematics, recorded the highest number of failures. Of the 7,03,643 students who appeared for basic mathematics, 5,97,139 passed the exam while 1,06,504 failed, resulting in a pass percentage of 84.86%. This indicates that more than one in seven students struggled with the subject.
In contrast, standard mathematics, which is considered more challenging, saw significantly fewer failures. Out of 51,506 students who opted for this subject, 51,316 passed and only 190 failed. The lower failure count is also attributed to the smaller number of students choosing standard mathematics.
Science Emerges as Second Most Difficult Subject
Science proved to be the second most difficult subject, with 94,645 students failing. Of the 7,55,995 candidates who appeared for the exam, 6,61,350 passed, yielding a pass percentage of 87.48%. This means that over 12% of students could not clear the subject.
Performance in Other Subjects
Students performed comparatively better in social science, which registered a pass rate of 94.15%. Out of 7,55,470 candidates, 7,11,241 cleared the exam. Among language subjects, Gujarati (first language) saw 49,421 failures out of 6,33,872 students, with a pass percentage of 92.22%. English (second language) recorded 44,482 failures, while Hindi (second language) saw 22,695 students fail. Sanskrit also reported 13,699 unsuccessful candidates.
Experts Call for Targeted Interventions
Despite the overall strong performance, the data underscores persistent academic challenges in mathematics and science. Education experts say the trend points to the need for targeted interventions and improved teaching strategies to help students better cope with these subjects. They emphasize the importance of strengthening foundational concepts and providing additional support to students who struggle with mathematics and science.
