Hafizur Rahman Bablu, from Ullapara:

Ullapara, known as an educational town for three decades, has caused of disappointment to the students and guardians due to disaster of this year’s SSC examination results.

The results of Ullapara educational institutions, which were traditionally at the top of Sirajganj district and have a respectable position in the Rajshahi board, have failed to meet expectations this time. After publishing of the results, students, guardians and teachers were plunged into despair.

Ullapara’s traditional Momena Ali Science School and Ullapara Science College have a pass rate of 85.79 percent and only 131 students have scored GPA-5. Out of 379 candidates, 55 failed in the examinations.

Locals complained that, due to political interference and lack of proper monitoring by the authorities concerned, educational institutions of the upazila have turned into business hub instead of learning homes that leads to fall of quality. As a result, the institution, which was the best at the district and upazila levels for a long time, has now seen a disaster in the quality of education.

The deterioration of Momena Ali Science School is clear compared to other schools in the upazila. Rajmon High School has maintained a pass rate of 90.80 percent. The pass rate of Angaru SA Girls High School is 96.30 percent and that of Dakshin Pustigachha Girls School is 86.49 percent. Hamida Pilot Girls School, which is for female students only, has a pass rate of 86.89 percent and has at the top of the upazila.

Of the government secondary schools, the condition of Government Merchant Pilot High School is very poor. This traditional 120-year-old school has a pass rate of 73.11 percent and only 8 students have got GPA-5. On the other hand, the results of government schools in Sirajganj district town are suitable compared to other educational institutions. BL High School has a pass rate of 99.18 percent and Saleha Ishaq Government Girls School has a pass rate of 99.14 percent.

Experts say that, political interference, corruption in the governing body and administrative inefficiency are the main reasons behind the deterioration of education quality and disaster in results. Due to the influence of commercialism, schools have often turned from educational institutions into commercial enterprises, they opined.

Ullapara residents and guardians urged the administration and local political leaders to take quick and effective steps to bring back the glory of upazila’s educational institutions and restore the quality of education.

Experts seem that, Ullapara’s development and economy may be affected, if the education quality is not restored to build a strong future generation.