Over 29 Lakh Students Fail Class 10 Exams in 2023, Reveals Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan

In a concerning revelation, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan disclosed that over 29 lakh students failed to well-spoken their Class 10 workbench exams in the past year, based on data from the Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL), Ministry of Education. The minister presented the figures in Lok Sabha, indicating that out of 1,89,90,809 students who took the Class 10 examination, 1,60,34,671 students successfully passed, while 29,56,138 students couldn’t progress to Class 11.

The statistics show a worrying trend as the number of students lightweight Class 10 has seen an upward trajectory over the last four years. In 2019, the icon was 109,800, slightly increasing to 100,812 in 2020. However, there was a significant waif to 31,196 in 2021 surpassing a drastic surge to 1,17,308 in 2022. The current data of 29 lakh students lightweight raises concerns well-nigh the education system’s efficacy.

Multiple education boards, including the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), Assam Workbench of Secondary Education, Bihar School Viewing Workbench (BSEB), Chhattisgarh Workbench of Secondary Education, Gujarat Secondary & Higher Secondary Education Board, Workbench of School Education Haryana (HSEB), Maharashtra State Workbench of Secondary & Higher Secondary Education, Workbench of Secondary Education Madhya Pradesh, and others, reported a substantial number of Class 10 failures in the past year.

Minister Pradhan undisputed that reasons for students’ failure varied, encompassing factors such as absenteeism, difficulty pursuit school instructions, lack of interest in studies, the complexity of question papers, inadequate teaching quality, and insufficient support from parents, teachers, and schools.

Aside from exam failures, the dropout rates in most states and union territories witnessed a ripen during the 2021-22 wonk year. However, unrepealable regions like Odisha and Bihar experienced an increase in dropout rates, emphasizing challenges in retaining students in the education system. Goa and Maharashtra moreover reported elevated dropout rates, signaling areas that require sustentation to ensure continuous and quality education for all students.