The good news is the government could bring out the School Leaving Certificate results on time this year. The bad news is that only a third of the total examinees got through the 'iron gate'.

Who are these unsuccessful students that make 70 percent of the failures? Do they come from urban or rural areas and did the students go to government or private schools? What is the socio-economic status of their parents? These are not easy questions to answer but one thing is for sure: the recent SLC results drew a line between the haves and have-nots, a fact that the United Nations and other NGOs confirm. Children from a lower economic strata get stranded on the SLC slope. Many parents of those who failed had to cut corners to send their child to school, often depriving themselves of basics like food. It will jeopardise the future of this country if they conclude that making their children plough the fields is far better that sending them to school. And disillusioned youths become easy prey to extremist ideologies. The people already have had a bellyful of that.

We cannot blame these dismal results on students alone. Teachers, parents and the government's education policy are equally responsible. The latest SLC results puts two challenges to the government, society and policy planners. The first is to ensure higher education opportunities for the 30 percent who made it through the high school exam. The second is to create an environment where the failures get a chance. Schools that have a low pass percentage must be held responsible. It is the job of the department of education and SLC office to investigate why 70 out of every 100 students failed this exam. Something has gone terribly wrong.