Dhaka: The results of this year’s Primary Education Completion (PEC) and its equivalent Ebtedayee examinations have been published with a 95.18 percent pass ratein the PEC and 92.94 percent in the Ebtedayee examinations.

Primary and Mass Education Minister Mostafizur Rahman handedover the resultsto Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Ganobhaban around10amon Saturday. Education Minister Nurul Islam was present, reports the UNB.

In 2016, the pass rate was 98.51 percent in the PEC examination while 95.5 percent in the Ebtedayee examination.

Some 2,62,609 students obtained the highest grade GPA-5 in the PEC examination, which is 10.23 percent of the total candidates. But the number of GPA-5 achievers in Ebtedaye examination is only 5,023, which is 2.12 percent of the total examinees.

The performance of girls is slightly better than that of boys as 95.40 percent girls passed the PEC examination, while 94.93 percent boys came out successful.

The PEC and its equivalent Ebtedayee exams began on November 20 and ended onNovember 26across the country with the participation of 3,096,075 students,including 2,94,361 Ebtedaye examinees.

Expressing satisfaction at the pass rate, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said, ‘The pass rate is good...our students are meritorious.’

She said students regained their confidence through appearing in the exams, which is essential.

Returning to power in 1996, the Awami League government took a programme for making every district free from illiteracy but unfortunately the programme fell flat when BNP-Jamaat government came to power in 2001, she said.

‘We had increased the literacy rate to 65.5 percent from 45 percent in five years, but the rate dipped again. We had got award from Unesco for enhancing the literacy rate. Bangladesh was almost in the dark age from 2001 to 2008,’ Hasina said.

‘We’ve taken initiatives again after forming the government following the 2008 election. So, the literacy rate now stands at 72 percent according to official statistics. Actually, the rate is higher than it,’ she said.

The Prime Minister said the dropout rate has declined and students are becoming attentive to their studies due to the government’s steps.