Patna: Women outnumbered men among those who cleared the Bihar Board of Open Schooling and Examination (BBOSE) matriculation exam. Of the 6,177 successful candidates, 3,872 were women, accounting for nearly 63% of the total.According to an education department communique issued on Thursday, 13,923 learners had applied for the examination, of whom more than 40% cleared it. Education minister Mithilesh Tiwari said the successful candidates included 2,303 men and two transgender persons.Tiwari said the growing participation of women in BBOSE’s open-schooling system was encouraging. The increase in enrolment and examination participation compared with previous sessions, he said, indicated wider acceptance of the flexible and alternative schooling system.“BBOSE is providing a second opportunity to those who could not complete their education due to various reasons,” Tiwari said. He added that the system was benefiting students, particularly women and girls, who could not complete regular schooling.He said the increased participation also reflected growing trust in BBOSE as an alternative route for people seeking to resume their education.Among the successful candidates, Gudiya Kumari of Vaishali scored 450 out of 500 marks. Tiwari described her achievement as inspiring for women and girls who had been unable to complete their education because of various circumstances.
