Audit report sheds light on lacklustre results

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: For the City Corporation, the SSLC examination results are not something to cheer about. Out of the 34 high schools under the local body, only 12 recorded cent-per cent pass. The Local Fund Audit report on the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation for 2010-11 could throw light on the lacklustre results the Corporation schools have come up with. The way a promising project was turned into a ‘paper project’ being the main reason.  ‘Patham tharathil noorumeni’ was a project conceived by the previous council in tune with the State Government’s ‘Adopted schools project.’ The project was intended to raise the academic capacity of students found backward in studies and from a poor background too. They were to be retained in the school from 4 pm to 8 pm, provided with refreshments and injected with confidence to take the examination. The project had conceived at least 150 days of training for the students.  However, the Local Fund Audit report says that only 10 days’ training was given to the students under the project by the Corporation in 2010-11. And sources say that it was no different this time too. This, after setting aside ` 9 lakh in the development fund for the programme - to be shared for spending on refreshments and study materials. Last year, the project was approved in late February and ` 6 lakh released for the programme, but there is no evidence to prove that the spending had been done.  The audit report says that the basic requirement of the programme - that of preparing a list of the students who needed the help - had not been prepared.  The project received the nod at the end of February, when the examination is held in mid-March.  ‘’It was the same situation this time too. The Education officials of the Corporation  are not bothered about carrying out the programme. It is because of the will of certain schools and PTA members that the programme found takers in some schools. The programme has been adopted by certain school authorities and their results have shown it. Others have received the blow,’’ said a headmistress of a government school.  But the Corporation officials refute the allegation. ‘’The project received a late approval. The pass percentage is not that low this year, if you look at the figures. We have an average 90-per cent pass, when the State figure is 93.6 per cent,’’ said a Corporation official. Education Standing Committee Chairperson K S Sheela said that other than the 12 schools, the rest have registered around 90 per cent pass. Deputy Mayor G Happykumar said that the Corporation was planning to begin the procedures of the ‘Noorumeni’ programme from the start of the next academic year itself so that more students got its benefits.