Tura: The Meghalaya Board of School Education declared its Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) and Higher Secondary School Leaving Certificate (HSSLC) results on Friday with a pass percentage of 56.76 per cent and 74.78 per cent respectively.

Altogether 50,007 students had appeared in the SSLC examinations, of whom 28,424 passed. This year's SSLC pass percentage is higher than last year's 54.04 per cent.

Of the 11 districts, East Khasi Hills topped the chart with a pass percentage of 79.04, followed by West Jaiñtia Hills (75.55), Ri Bhoi (74.45), East Jaiñtia Hills (73.10), South West Khasi Hills (72.94) and West Khasi Hills (71.49).

The pass percentage in Garo hills was not very encouraging as none of its five districts could match the state average.

East Garo Hills secured a pass percentage of 39.87 per cent, West Garo Hills 37.55 per cent, South Garo Hills 29.98 per cent, South West Garo Hills 26.65 per cent and North Garo Hills 35.61 per cent.

Sherwood shines

Notwithstanding the overall picture of results in Garo hills, Sherwood School in Tura under West Garo Hills stole the thunder from schools located in the state capital, Shillong. The school bagged six positions, including the first four, in the Top 20 merit list.

Anurag Tewari of Sherwood School topped with 581 marks. He got distinction marks in English, mathematics, science and technology, social studies, health education and Hindi. His schoolmates Trisha Seal Sharma (573), Yash Khandelwal (569) and Pratyush Patra (568) bagged the second, third and fourth positions respectively.

St Xavier's Secondary School and Aeroville Secondary School in West Garo Hills and and Mahendraganj Higher Secondary School in South West Garo Hills also featured in the merit list.

Anurag, who studied at the school since kindergarten, told The Telegraph that the use of "smart classrooms" in the school had helped him become a better student because "what you see is what you remember". He said the school initially had smart classrooms from Class III but they now have it from kindergarten.

Anurag, who aims to become a chartered accountant, said he never "memorised" lessons. "The purpose of education is to garner knowledge and not to just to attain marks. I was focused throughout though I did not expect to bag the top position," he said.

School administrator Bruce Michael Beddoe said they introduced smart classrooms 10 years ago. "We started with television screens but we now have the green board, white board and computers." He said the school also lays emphasis on laboratory work.

All the 37 students of the school who sat for the exam this year have passed. "I am happy for them, but this is not the end of the road. It is just the beginning," said Beddoe.

HSSLC results

Lily Kharthangmaw of St Anthony's Higher Secondary School, Shillong, topped HSSLC Arts stream with 440 marks. Susanna Kharmawshun of St Margaret's Higher Secondary School, Shillong, stood second with 439 marks.

"I am very grateful to God. I thank the school, principal, teachers and my parents who have sacrificed a lot for me," Lily said. She plans to pursue her bachelor's degree in political science (honours) and compete for Union Public Service Commission examinations.

Asked about her sterling performance, she said, "Time management is very important when it comes to studies. I studied an hour-and-a-half in the morning and around four hours at night."

Principal of St Anthony's Higher Secondary School, Shillong, Father Surjit Tigga, SDB, said the students had again made the school proud.

"They have done brilliantly well and have repeated the history of St Anthony's every year," he said, adding that students of arts, science and commerce streams had done the school proud. Science and commerce results have already been published.

"I would like to thank the parents for supporting their children, the school's dedicated and committed teachers and especially the non-teaching staff who are the pillars of the institute. We will always shine in the state as well as the Northeast," he said.

Altogether 23,160 students had appeared for HSSLC of whom 17,318 passed (74.78 per cent). Last year, the pass percentage was 75.38 per cent.

Additional reporting by Banbitlang Marbaniang in Shillong