Spatial variation in performance of socially marginalized students in high school leaving certificate examination 2022, in Assam, India

Abstract

Education is one of the pre-eminent avenues for improving the socioeconomic status of marginalized communities. In India, performance in the High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) Examination dictates the opportunities for obtaining higher education and building a successful career. Hence, the present study aims to explore the spatial variation in the performance of socially marginalized students from Assam in the HSLC Examination 2022, from the angle of gender, religion, and medium of instruction. Data obtained from the Board of Secondary Education, Assam, were used for calculating percentages, depicting spatial variation with the help of a choropleth map, and illustrating the gender gap graphically. A significant spatial variation in the performance of students in the HSLC examination was observed, with the range of variation being much wider for the socially marginalized students. In most of the districts, the socially marginalized students underperformed compared to all other students in general. Among the socially marginalized students, a gender gap in favor of males in the examination performance was detected in most of the districts in Assam, but in a few districts, an opposite phenomenon highlighting the gender gap in favor of females was evident. There were distinct spatial variations in the performance of the socially marginalized students in the HSLC examination across gender, religion, and medium of instruction. As education is an important pathway through which socially marginalized groups can elevate their socioeconomic status, there is an urgent need for the authorities to improve their performance in the HSLC examination.