Education Adviser Prof CR Abrar has said this year’s results of the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations are “uncomfortable,” as both the pass rate and the number of GPA-5 achievers have dropped significantly.

Speaking at a briefing at the Secretariat on Thursday, Prof Abrar said, “This year’s HSC results are uncomfortable. The Ministry of Education cannot avoid its responsibility for such an outcome. However, the results are realistic. A data-based review involving experts will be conducted to find out the real reasons behind this performance.”

He observed that in the past, the pass rate and the number of GPA-5 scorers were often considered the main measures of satisfaction.

We want our education outcomes to return to reality. Over the years, a culture has developed in which numbers became the ultimate truth,” he said.

We want to end this practice of hiding the learning crisis behind inflated results. The education system should reflect reality again,” the adviser added.

Prof Abrar also mentioned that teachers were instructed to ensure fairness, particularly for students on the borderline in this year’s HSC exams.

The results of this year’s HSC and equivalent examinations have been published, showing an average pass rate of 58.83 percent across 11 education boards.

The pass rate has fallen by 19 percentage points compared to last year’s 77.78 percent.

The results were made available from 10 am on Thursday through the websites of the respective education boards, examination centers, educational institutions, and via SMS.

Girls outperformed boys in both pass rate and GPA-5 achievement this year.

Meanwhile, the number of institutions with 100 percent pass rate has decreased, while those with a 100 percent failure rate have increased — 202 institutions saw all students fail, whereas 345 institutions achieved a perfect pass rate.