Decline in Arts Stream Students' Performance Consistent in Maha HSC Results
Headline: Arts Stream Students Struggle as Maharashtra State Board Exam Results Show consistent Decline
Quick Take: The Maharashtra State Board's Class 12 (HSC) results in 2025 revealed a troubling downward slide in performance for students in the Arts stream, with a staggering 10% dip over the past four years.
💰📚 Pune - Education Woes 📚💰
The recent HSC results from the Maharashtra State Board have brought to light an unsettling pattern: a consistent decrease in the performance of Arts stream students. Over four years, the passing percentage in the Arts stream has plummeted by 5.36% in just the last year and nearly 10% since 2022. Meanwhile, Science and Commerce streams have maintained a relatively steady passing rate with little variation.
💻🔬 Why the Arts Slump? 🔬💻
Official data indicates that the Arts stream's passing percentage was 90.51% in 2022, slipped to 84.05% in 2023, rebounded slightly to 85.88% in 2024, and subsequently fell to 80.52% in 2025. However, no clear cause for the Arts stream's poorer performance has been identified.
Education experts propose that the origin may lie in the fact that high-performing students predominantly opt for Science and Commerce following 10th grade, leaving a relatively larger portion of academically underprepared students in the Arts stream. This discrepancy may lead to a relaxed approach to studies among some students, ultimately contributing to higher failure rates.
Sharad Gosavi, chair of the Maharashtra State Board, agrees, saying, "While the cause for the decline remains unclear, the shift toward Science and Commerce choices after 10th grade is evident. The disproportion may be affecting overall performance in Arts."
👵 Flickering Future for Humanities? 👵
Retired professor Shankar Karnik highlights the potential long-term consequences of the Arts stream's decline: less student enrollment in Humanities and social science programs at universities. This drop in numbers could later affect the enrollment of Arts colleges across the state.
The diminishing interest in the Arts has been linked to the burgeoning influence of technology and higher employment opportunities in Science and Commerce degrees, particularly in technology and medical sectors for Science grads, and the corporate world for Commerce grads. Conssequently, limited career avenues for Arts graduates only serve to discourage high-achieving students from choosing the Arts stream.
🌐📈 Next Steps 📈🌐
The Maharashtra State Board is investigating the root causes of the decline in Arts stream performance to devise strategies for improvement. Potential factors under consideration include teaching methods, social media distractions, shifting student preferences, stricter exam protocols, and socio-economic factors. Addressing these concerns is crucial to revitalizing the future of Arts education in the state.
- Despite the consistent decline in performance of Arts stream students in the Maharashtra State Board Class 12 (HSC) exams, the Science and Commerce streams have managed to maintain relatively steady passing rates.
- The declining interest in the Arts has been linked to the increasing influence of technology and higher employment opportunities in Science and Commerce degrees, limiting career avenues for Arts graduates.
- The burgeoning of humanities and social science programs' enrollment in universities might decrease due to the less student enrollment in the Arts stream, affecting the enrollment of Arts colleges across the state in the long run.
