SSC Board reserves results, leaves thousands in the lurch

As if the anxiety of appearing for their first board exams and then waiting for what seemed like an eternity for the delayed results was not enough thousands of students from the city are at their witsrsquo end after the state board lsquoreservedrsquo their results yesterdayThousands of excited anxious students logged on to find out their results yesterday only to find that they had been withheld PicSayed Sameer AbediAfter the Maharashtra State Board for Secondary and Higher Secondary Education MSBSHSE finally announced the SSC results yesterday schools across the city were surprised to receive calls from anxious parents stating that their childrenrsquos results had been reservedFurther inquiry led to the Mumbai divisional board claiming that results had been withheld for those students whose internal assessment marks had not been provided by the schools This after some schools have submitted the marks twice in the past three monthsAlso read SSC results declared Mumbais pass percentage stands at 8305OutragedldquoThe board has told all parents that schools have failed to provide the internal assessment marks We have proof that we submitted the marks to the board not once but twice in the past three months Board officials had signed and acknowledged receipt of these marksrdquo said Chandrika Ragji principal of Yashodham High School in Goregaon EAdding that the results of 20 students from a batch of 284 from the school who had appeared for SSC exams this year have been reserved ldquoHow can the board prove that we have not submitted the marks of just these 20 students All the marks are sent at the same time and in the same documentrdquo she addedAlso read SSC results Counsellors try to pacify jittery students parentsRagji was also shocked that two of her students were told that they failed in graded subjects ldquoHow is it possible that the students failed in graded subjects We checked our files and all students have been given lsquoArsquo grades The board however says they have failed I canrsquot believe that in this day and age with computers and technology at their disposal the board has managed to make such goofupsrdquo she said MisplacedThe principals of several city schools told midday that the board had asked them to resubmit the internal assessment marks to the board just a week ago ldquoWe were told to resubmit marks to the divisional board one week ago which we did and now the board says we havenrsquot sent the information Irsquom sure the results were delayed because the board has misplaced some of the marksrdquo said the principal of a Malad school on condition of anonymityAlso read Students schools worry about admissions as SSC results get delayedAt St Xavierrsquos Boys Academy in Churchgate the results of 12 students have been reserved The school found out that most of these were students with various learning disabilities LD ldquoIf the board claims that internal assessment marks have not been provided to them then thatrsquos wrongFor students with LD they are allowed to opt for an easier version of Maths wherein practical marks are not a component What is the board trying to proverdquo asked Savio DrsquoMello the schoolrsquos viceprincipalHarrowing timeHundreds of SSC students and parents flocked the Mumbai divisionrsquos board office in Vashi on Tuesday Most were demanding reasons for the results being withheld and expressed worry that this would affect their junior college admissionldquoI couldnt see my daughterrsquos result on the website despite entering the correct information We were all very excited and anxious but now we will have to wait longer to know the results Board officials have registered my daughters hall ticket details and have promised to let me know about the result in 23 days I hope this does not affect her junior college admissionrdquo said Dinesh Kurdhunkar 50 a parentHelpline woesMany students and parents were also miffed at their calls to the board helpline numbers going unanswered ldquoI called the board helpline number for three hours at a stretch but no one answered my callsrdquo said Naigaon resident Kalpana Sharma whose sister appeared for the SSC exams this yearmdash With inputs from Ankoor Anvekar