Students and parents check the results at Siliguri Boys? High School. Picture by Diptendu Dutta

June 5: Like in Madhyamik, north Bengal schools have kept up their performance in the higher secondary exams too.

After Calcutta, which recorded a pass percentage of 84.18 per cent, Darjeeling district has recorded the second highest pass percentage of 78.47 per cent, which is above the state average of 71.82.

Among others, high literacy rate has been attributed as one of the reasons for Darjeeling?s performance. ?With a higher literacy level, parents here are able to guide their children better,? said Kalyan Das, a senior teacher at Margaret Sister Nivedita High School.

According to figures from the West Bengal Council for Higher Education, which published the results today, the pass percentage in other north Bengal districts are as follows: 61.42 in Jalpaiguri, 70.39 in North Dinajpur, 63.33 in South Dinajpur, 65.61 in Malda and 61.34 in Cooch Behar.

Giving credit to private tuition for their success, most toppers want to pursue professional courses, mainly engineering and a few medicine. Diya Das, the topper from Siliguri Girls? High School with 944, however, has a different plan. ?I want to take up a degree course in general stream,? Diya said.

With the same score of 949, Surangama Chakraborty and Thumri Sarkar have jointly topped Jalpaiguri Government Girls? High School. Surangama wants to become a doctor and Thumri an engineer.

Abhishek Kundu of Vivekananda Vidyamandir in Malda wants to become an engineer. The Brazil fan has an opponent in his own district in Shreya Seth, the topper from Burlow Girls? High School with 934 marks, who is set to support Argentina.

Of the 258 examinees from Siliguri Boys? High School, 144 have secured first division and 40 second. At Siliguri Girls? School, 168 of 238 have got first and 61, second division. Of the Margaret School candidates, 131 and 126 of 303 have got first and second division marks.

In Jalpaiguri Government Girls? High School, 74 of 92 got first division and the remaining, second. Abhishek Pal (939) has topped Jalpaiguri Zilla School from where 60 out of 74 have got the first division.

In Raiganj, Diwakar Mahalonobish has topped Raiganj Coronation High School with 769.