The Hindu

• Some colleges demand a pass with distinction for admission to these streams 
• Most high scorers usually opt for the science stream
• `There has been an increase in students taking commerce courses'

Mangalore, May 24: Gone are the days when a student could be satisfied with a first class in the SSLC examination. Some pre-university colleges in the city have started demanding a pass with distinction for admission to the science or commerce stream.

Not all students who scored a first class in the SSLC examination have been able to get into the science or commerce stream. A majority of high scorers in the examination opt for the science stream. At a reputed pre-university college on M.G. Road, the science stream is available only to students with high marks.

For admission to the commerce stream, the college asks for a minimum 64 per cent. The principal of another pre-university college near Balmatta said: " The marks obtained by students in the SSLC examination is an indication of their capacity to work hard." However, there are exceptions. The dean of another reputed pre-university college at Kodiyalabail told The Hindu : "We have considered students who have scored a minimum of first class for science and commerce."

He said many parents pressure their children to take science with the view of them becoming doctors or engineers. Over the years he had observed that students opting for the commerce stream had increased. This may be owing to the demand for management graduates and chartered accountants, he added.