Netrokona's Gopalpur Model College fails its only candidate; five colleges in the district record zero passes

Gopalpur Model College in Kendua upazila of Netrokona has only three teachers, including its principal. The college's only student who sat this year's HSC examinations has also failed to pass.

The information emerged from an analysis of the Mymensingh Education Board's HSC results published on Saturday. Besides Gopalpur, four more colleges in the district saw none of their candidates pass. All five colleges on the zero-pass list are non-MPO institutions.

Established in 2001, Gopalpur Model College has still not been brought under the MPO scheme. Its principal, Sujit Kanti Kar, said the lone candidate had also sat the HSC last year and failed in Information and Communication Technology (ICT). This year the candidate sat only that subject again and still did not pass.

The principal added that because the college has not been MPO-listed for so long, no teacher wants to stay there. Student numbers have fallen as a result, and the college now has only three teachers including himself.

The other four institutions on the district's zero-pass list are Kalmakanda Mahila College, the college section of Khalishapur High School in Purbadhala, Ambition Model College, and Jobayda Johur Uddin Sarkar Mahila College.

According to the district education department, three candidates sat from Kalmakanda Mahila College, four from the college section of Khalishapur High School, six from Ambition Model College and 16 from Jobayda Johur Uddin Sarkar Mahila College. None of them passed.

In total, 13,911 students from institutions across Netrokona's 10 upazilas sat the HSC this year, of whom 5,873 passed. The district education department put the district pass rate at 43.91 percent, with 70 candidates achieving GPA-5.

Additional Deputy Commissioner Munmun Jahan Liza, who is in charge as deputy commissioner, said discussions would be held quickly with teachers of the five zero-pass institutions. Alongside investigating why the students failed, steps would be taken to improve the quality of education at the institutions, and the district education officer has already been instructed on the matter.