The poor show at the HSLC examination continues and while the pass percentage of 52 in the just announced result of the Class X examination is a marginal improvement over the last few years, there is still nothing to write home about the performance of our students.

While we may berate the quality of education imparted to the students, especially in Government school, we also have to acknowledge the disturbing conditions under which our students have to study.

Not a month passes by without a bandh or a general strike and the total number of days lost on account of bandhs or general strikes must be immense.

It is more than clear that such a culture will have a direct impact on the minds of the young students and this is definitely one factor for the poor showing of our students at the Class X and Class XII examinations.

While quality education has become the fashion statement of quite a large number of civil society organisations and even student organisations, no one cares to give a thought to the plight of the students when they set out to implement their own agenda.

Pulling students out of their classrooms to take part in sit-in-protests, to stage rallies and to take to the streets has become an accepted culture of many civil society organisations and involving students in issues which are purely adult matter is something which we have always spoken out against.

Other than the disturbing social and political climate under which our students have to study, we also need to take into consideration the conditions rendered due to the apathy of the Government.

Let's move away from the stereotypical description of schools in the hills and rural areas, though these are no doubt very important, but look at some other basic points.

It is literally impossible for our students to study in the evening or late at night because of the poor power supply. Studying under candle lights and with hurricane lamps may sound romantic but it is not practical today, what with all the mosquitoes and the surging temperature.

While the poor showing of our students at the Class X examination continues to worry us, one silver lining that could be seen in the result of this year's HSLC examination was the creditable showing of schools located in the rural areas.

It was extremely pleasing to see that 11 students from schools located outside Imphal made it to the top 25 positions, giving their Imphal counter parts a run for their money.

It is this decentralisation of merit that we find encouraging and we hope the trend continues, for merit should not be the monopoly of only some few institutions and should not be Imphal centric.

The good showing by students from these schools is all that more positive if we take into consideration the fact that these students may not have all the facilities that are available in private schools in Imphal.

There is no reason why the top spots in Class X and Class XII examinations should be dominated by students from Imphal only.

While the good showing of some students from the rural areas has given us something to smile about, it was disappointing to see that students from schools located in the hill districts could not make it to the merit list.

Quality education will have meaning only when students, irrespective of which part of the State they come from or where they study, are able to make to the merit list and be counted among the toppers.