LAHORE: More than 64 percent of candidates passed this year’s Intermediate Part II annual examinations at the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) Lahore. That is a clear improvement on last year’s pass rate of 58 percent.
Female students again did much better than male students. However, mathematics caused the most failures of any subject, which has worried educationists.
189,373 candidates appeared in the examinations, of whom 123,060 were declared successful, according to figures released with the results on Wednesday.
In Lahore, Government College student Muhammad Mohiuddin and Government Degree College Islampura student Mubashira shared first position with 1,158 marks. Both said they want to become doctors and serve the country.
The pass rate for female students was 71 percent, compared with 49 percent for male students. That gap of about 22 percentage points continues a pattern seen across Punjab’s boards for several years. It adds to questions about why boys’ results keep falling behind.
Mathematics was the biggest hurdle this year. More candidates failed maths than any other subject in the Intermediate Part II exams, and about half of those who took the paper did not pass.
Educationists have expressed concern about the figure and called for special measures to improve how the subject is taught. They say weak foundations in the earlier years usually carry through to intermediate level.
The Lahore Board had scheduled the Inter Part II announcement for September 23. The higher pass rate stands out after a difficult month for school results in the province.
Earlier in September, the BISE Lahore Class 9 pass rate fell to 46.51 percent. That result led Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to order action over poor Class IX results in Punjab schools.
For comparison, the Federal Board recently reported an 85.95 percent pass rate in its HSSC Part II results.
Students who passed can now apply to universities, professional colleges and other higher education institutions. Admission cycles at many public universities depend on intermediate marks.
Students who failed one or more subjects can apply for rechecking or take supplementary examinations under board rules. Students can check their detailed results on the Lahore Board’s official website using their roll numbers.
The improved overall figures are welcome news for the province. Still, the gender gap and the maths failure rate show where education planners need to focus next.
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