For decades, Mathematics carried the reputation of being the most feared subject among Class 10 students. However, the latest results declared by the Punjab School Education Board have changed this narrative, with English becoming the most tough subject this time.This year, English emerged as the toughest subject in the examination with thousands having failed in it.According to the board’s result, as many as 6,170 students failed in English — the highest among all major subjects. Out of 2,69,500 students who appeared in the examination, 2,63,330 students managed to clear the paper.These figures indicate a shifting academic trend in Punjab schools. While students appear to be gradually overcoming their fear of numbers, language proficiency — especially in English — is becoming a growing concern for both educators and parents.Interestingly, mathematics recorded comparatively fewer failures. Only 3,484 students failed in the subject, a number significantly lower than English, Science and Social Studies. Educationists believe that the improvement in maths performance could be linked to better coaching support and increased focus on conceptual learning in recent years.Science also proved challenging for many candidates. Out of 2,69,425 students who appeared in the paper, 4,897 failed.Social studies remained another weak area, recording 3,601 failures. A total of 2,69,445 students appeared in the subject, of whom 2,65,844 cleared the examination.Even Punjabi — the mother tongue and a compulsory subject in the state — saw 1,859 students failing the paper. Out of 2,69,433 candidates, 2,67,574 passed. Hindi recorded 2,516 failures.Interestingly, the elective subjects like Sanskrit emerged as one of the best-performing subjects, with only two failures among 2,127 students. Similarly, Urdu elective recorded just one failure, with 336 out of 337 students clearing the examination.The sharp contrast between the results of major subjects and elective languages has once again sparked debate over teaching standards, language learning methods and examination patterns in government and private schools across the state.