PANAJI:  The Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education posted the highest ever passing percentage of 83.50 per cent for the SSC examination, this year, with 13,200 out of 15,808 students who appeared for the exam clearing the same.

In the exempted category, 826 students passed registering a passing percentage of 41.63 per cent.
The examination was conducted for 13 days in altogether 23 centres around the state.
Last year, the Board registered a passing percentage of 77.11 per cent for this examination, while it was 69.94 for the March 2008 SSC examination.
The passing percentages for the years 2007, 2006 2005 and 2004 were 73.63 per cent, 69.51 per cent, 59 per cent and 63.55 per cent, respectively.
Announcing the March/ April 2010 SSC results, the GBSHSE chairman, Mr Mervyn D’Sousa said the students who appeared for the examination constituted 51 per cent boys and 49 per cent girls.
“The boys, as last year, performed better than girls with a passing percentage of 79.41 per cent, while the girls were close behind with a passing percentage of 78.24 per cent,” he added.
Mr D’Sousa said that in all 20 institutions, including seven government schools -- three in Quepem taluka and one each in Canacona, Sattari, Sanguem and Ponda talukas -- achieved cent per cent result, while two schools scored zero per cent result.
“A total of 427 students received the benefit of ATKT (Allowed to Keep Terms) in one subject,” the Goa Board chairman said adding that the Goa Board has introduced ATKT in two subjects from this year, and 586 students have been the beneficiaries of this decision.
“These 1,013 students will have to clear their subjects either during the October 2010 or March 2011 SSC examinations, or else they would not be promoted to class XII,” he added.
Mr D’Sousa also maintained that 113 SSC students -- 86 boys and 27 girls -- received sports merit marks, this year, thus improving the passing percentage by further 0.5 per cent.
Statistics informed that the highest percentage was achieved by the Navelim centre – 93.01 per cent, while the lowest -- 67.09 pert cent -- was registered by the Pernem centre. In all, 10 centres recorded passing percentage, which was more than that of the Board’s passing percentage of 83.50 per cent. 
The Goa Board will also make available the photocopies of the answer-books to the candidates on request.
Replying to a question, the Goa Board chairman informed that grading system would be introduced for the SSC and HSSC examinations from the forthcoming academic year 2010-2011.