Reshma Ravishanker

From limited technology access to minimized teacher interactions, 12 students from government schools in Karnataka braved the odds and secured a perfect 625/625 score in the SSLC exams, the results of which were announced on Monday.

The unconventional year that it was with the Covid-19 pandemic throwing challenges, experts in the field of education often raised concerns over learning loss, particularly among the government school students. However, an unstable internet connection, financial challenges and absence of online schooling, deterred these students the least.

Keertana Ukkali, a student of Government Girls High School, Basavana Bagewadi in Vijayapura district is one such student. An MBBS aspirant, she hopes to pursue science in PUC but the path ahead is no easy one to tread. Ukkali’s mother is a single parent, who has been working two jobs to make ends meet. “I lost my dad when I was young. My mom has been running the family since,” she said.

 Regarding her preparations for exams, Ukkali said that the lessons aired on Doordarshan were of immense help. “My school did not have everyday online classes.  Teachers sent us photos of the notes on Whatsapp. Some teachers interacted with us on a regular basis through calls and the others had to be approached if we had doubts. My mom has one phone, which she would leave at home that helped me gain access to notes,” she said.

For B S Shreesha, a student of the Government Composite High School in Tanikal, a village in Shivamogga district, the voice notes his teachers sent on Whatsapp were a prime source for learning. “Teachers sent us notes on whatsapp and some of them conducted online classes. If this was not possible, they shared voice notes with us. I also relied on Doordarshan for learning. Initially, the pace of teaching had slowed down due to the pandemic. When the government permitted in-person classes from January, we were taught a majority of the syllabus and there was room for revision.

“Teachers did all they could to stay connected with us. In such a time, if the government had given standardized notes to all government school students in the absence of online classes, even the average performers would have scored higher,” he said.

Self-learning, seeking help from seniors in school and YouTube videos came to the rescue of Abhishek Jayanth Holla who also secured a score of 625. A student of Government High School, Valakadu in Udupi district.  

“The school had a tie up with Mahamaya Foundation, an NGO who recorded and shared videos based on our syllabus. I relied on that. However, the change in pattern of exam paper to a one with multiple choice questions was a challenge.  It had most of us worried,” he said.

Also read: SSLC 2021 results declared, pass percentage 99.9%, one student failed for cheating