Jamshedpur, May 13: This time the report card was not for students but for principals.

Principals from 33-odd schools competing for the JJ Irani Award for Excellence in Education assembled for the third annual award ceremony last evening at the Tata auditorium, XLRI, where many hearts broke and only a few took home a consolation award.

The prestigious award, instituted in 2003, is given to schools scoring above 600 marks out of a total of 1,000.

However, considering the tough standards of judgement and to encourage schools to work towards the qualifying mark, the organisers drew out a four-level awarding scheme for those scoring between 400-450, 450-500, 500-600, and above 600. This year, only six schools made it to the highest-level of 400-450 marks.

In the first category, comprising schools up to Class IV, Baug-E-Jamshed, Tarapore School (Agrico) and Jusco School were the top scorers.

In the second category of schools below Class X, Carmel Junior College was adjudged the best performer and in the last category of schools with the twelfth grade, Sacred Heart Convent School and Jamshedpur Public School bagged the top slots.

Schools left behind in the race, however, were visibly disappointed with the jury’s verdict and questioned the results.

“There are schools in the city which are ISO-certified and yet are nowhere in the race. It is really astonishing to see how some reputed schools known widely for their standard of quality education have been ignored,” said a principal of an ICSE school.