The Invisible 5%: Students Who Reach Class 10 but Never Sit for Madhyamik

Registered in Class 9–10, but Not Appearing for the Madhyamik Exam: A Silent Reality of West Bengal

In West Bengal, a silent yet very real problem has existed for a long time—one that rarely comes into public discussion. In reality, many students receive their Class 9 and Class 10 registration certificates from school, but eventually do not appear for the Madhyamik examination.

From my own experience, I have seen that such cases are far from rare.

🔍 Why do they fail to appear for the exam?

There are multiple social and economic reasons behind this issue—

1️⃣ In the case of girls

Many are married off at an early age

Families often feel that “there is no need to continue education”

2️⃣ In the case of boys

Due to family pressure, they are forced to start working

Many are compelled to drop out of school midway

3️⃣ Financial hardship

Inability to afford exam fees, books, stationery, and travel costs

Families with extremely limited income

4️⃣ Social and psychological factors

Fear of examinations

Gradual detachment from school

Loss of interest in studies

📊 Ground Reality (Unpublished but Real)

These numbers rarely appear in official records, but the ground reality tells a different story—

Out of every 100 students registered in Class 9–10, around 95 appear for the Madhyamik examination, while nearly 5 fail to do so due to various reasons.

This 5%—the “Invisible Students”

✔ Registered in the system

❌ Missing from the examination records

Though this number may seem small, at the state level it represents thousands of young lives whose educational journeys are quietly altered.

❗ Why does this issue remain invisible?

Education boards usually publish only the number of students who appear for the examination

Those who do not appear are lost in statistics

Social stigma and family pressure also keep the issue hidden

As a result, this problem remains “invisible” and unacknowledged.

✅ Conclusion

Reaching Class 9 or 10 does not mean the end of education.

Students who could not appear for the Madhyamik examination are not failures—

they are victims of systemic and social realities.

To address this issue, the following are urgently needed:

Greater awareness

Financial support

School-level counseling

Special attention to girls’ education

Otherwise, this silent 5% will continue to disappear every year.