PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan report: Maharashtra fares better in all three grades but decline in student performance in higher classes a concern
The Performance Assessment Review and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development, commonly known as PARAKH, is the country's top assessment body. In December 2024, it conducted the PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024, replacing the earlier National Achievement Survey (NAS). The results are now available on the PARAKH dashboard.
The objective of this assessment is to understand the baseline performance in developing competencies at the end of the foundational, preparatory, and middle stages in schools, at individual district levels. The data aims to guide focused interventions at the required stages to improve overall learning outcomes.
Despite outperforming the national average across all three grades, Maharashtra has shown a decline in student achievement as they progress from primary to secondary classes. This downward trend is particularly evident in Language and Mathematics—the two subjects which are assessed across all three grades.
In Mathematics, the state's average score dropped significantly — from 64 per cent in Grade 3, to 51 per cent in Grade 6, and further down to just 38 per cent in Grade 9. In Language, although the drop is less steep, a similar decline is visible — from 69 per cent in Grade 3, to 62 per cent in Grade 6, and 59 per cent in Grade 9.
A senior official from State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) said, 'This decline in student performance as they move toward higher grades is not unique to Maharashtra. It is a nationwide trend and certainly calls for more focused and strategic interventions in secondary classes, as also recommended in the PARAKH report. State-level officials are currently analyzing the data, and a detailed action plan will soon be prepared.'
The official also emphasized the need for localized strategies. 'While there will be state-level planning, a district-wise analysis will help ensure targeted interventions. Performance varies across districts, so a one-size-fits-all approach will not be effective. Local context must be considered,' the official said, urging education experts in the state to contribute their insights.
The assessment covered 4,314 schools in Maharashtra, involving 123,659 students and 13,930 teachers. Among the districts, Kolhapur, Sindhudurg, and Satara emerged as top performers across all three grades, whereas Gadchiroli consistently featured among the lowest-performing districts.
In addition to Language and Mathematics, which are common across all three grades, students in Grade 6 are assessed in 'The World Around Us', while students in Grade 9 are assessed in Science and Social Science.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Govt school enrolments double to 12L under ‘Praveshotsav' campaign
Jaipur: More than 12.27 lakh students were enrolled in govt schools this year as part of the 'Praveshotsav' campaign. In 2025-26, the enrolments are double compared to last year when 5.97 lakh students were enrolled. Officials said that improved results of govt schools in board exams have been a key factor for the increase in enrolment. The education department increased the date for admission for classes 9-12 until Aug 16. "There are several factors for the increase in enrolment in govt schools this year, with improvement in the examination results of the Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education (RBSE) as the main reason. Along with this, improved facilities at govt schools like smart classes, information and technology labs in schools, and the state's performance, which was above the national average in the Parakh survey," said a senior official from the education department. This year, in Class 12, the pass percentage in the state board for Science was 98.4%, Commerce was 99%, and Humanities was 97.8%. The result for Class 10 this year was 93.6%, while for class 8 it was 96.6%. "This was one of the first times that we saw numerous admissions taking place in govt schools in one day. At PM Shri Govt Senior Secondary School Rawatsar in Hanumangarh district, 43 admissions were conducted in a single day. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Libas Purple Days Sale Libas Undo Similarly, from Manjpta village in Laxmangarh, around 100 students took admission at the local govt school in a single day," added the official. In the current academic year, the education department also experimented with community connect initiatives to welcome students in govt schools and increase their interest. From this year, the department started birthday celebrations of students in pre-primary classes in Mahatma Gandhi English Medium schools.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Govt readies ‘Rashtraneeti' to instil civic duties in students
New Delhi: Delhi govt is gearing up to launch its new civic education initiative, Rashtraneeti, to transform how students understand democracy, leadership and civic responsibility. Scheduled to roll out across all govt schools on Aug 15, the programme targets students from kindergarten to Class XII, embedding civic values into the heart of school life. "At the core of Rashtraneeti is a mission to instil ethical governance, democratic participation and national pride through active, student-led engagement," said an official. To ensure effective implementation, State Council of Educational Research and Training recently held an orientation for master trainers, who will lead the programme's rollout across schools and act as key conduits for the vision. Officials said the session was designed to familiarise trainers with the vision, structure and goals of the programme to ensure effective classroom delivery. You Can Also Check: Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi In each school, at least seven student-run committees will be set up, including ones on environment, anti-bullying and school canteen management. These committees are designed to mimic real-world governance structures and foster collaborative problem-solving. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Cyprus investments might surprise you Cyprus Investments | Search Ads Get Info Undo "Students will conduct elections, make decisions and implement plans while teachers will guide them in the background. This hands-on model offers a first-hand understanding of governance and builds essential life skills like leadership, teamwork and ownership," the official said. "This will not only give them insight into policymaking and governance but also nurture a strong sense of ownership, collaboration and active citizenship," he added. The initiative is expected to cover nearly every student in the Delhi govt school system, through either direct committee involvement or related sub-groups and school-level activities. Officials describe Rashtraneeti as an effort to build civic consciousness from the ground up, making governance a lived experience, not just a classroom concept. "Rashtraneeti also marks a shift in focus from some of AAP's earlier flagship education programmes like Happiness Curriculum, Business Blasters and Mission Buniyaad, which will be gradually replaced," the official said, adding that the change was part of a broader effort to make civic engagement a lived experience rather than a theoretical concept confined to textbooks. Delhi govt is also launching two other educational programmes: NEEEV (New Era of Entrepreneurial Ecosystem and Vision) and Science of Living. NEEEV seeks to spark entrepreneurial thinking in students from classes VIII to XII. Under it, students will participate in real-world innovation challenges such as 'startup stormers'—a multi-stage competition where they will develop, pitch and prototype their own business ideas. The programme will also feature 'NEEEV dialogues', a speaker series bringing in entrepreneurs and industry leaders to inspire the next generation of innovators.
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Indian Express
Jayant Chaudhary writes: For a stronger education system
In recent years, education in India has not only expanded in scale but matured in ambition. Our reforms today are about quality, pedagogy, and learning outcomes. We have made a deliberate shift towards ensuring that every child in the country not only attends school but also truly learns. To understand if that is happening, we must pause and ask the right questions. What are our children learning? Are schools enabling them to build essential skills at each stage of their education? These questions require reliable, scientific answers. As an expert noted, 'Students can learn despite poor teaching, but they cannot overcome poor assessment.' This reminder is crucial because the best way to determine the effectiveness of our education system is through large-scale assessments. These analyse macro trends to determine educational effectiveness. They find patterns in data from different locations, subjects, grades, and schools. This form of evaluation helps teachers and policymakers understand the strengths and weaknesses of students. Overall, it helps diagnose systemic issues and buttress policymaking. Over the past two decades, India has gradually built capacity in this area. Advancing from the National Achievement Surveys (NAS) to PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan (PRS) 2024, the scale of the survey has grown to cover 21.15 lakh students in 74,229 schools across the country. Students from Grades III, VI, and IX were assessed to correspond with the end of the foundational, preparatory, and middle stages of schooling. These stages are now well-established under the new curricular structure in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. At the foundational stage, the data show that India has not only recovered from the learning losses of the pandemic but, in many cases, surpassed earlier benchmarks. In Grade III, 57 per cent of children demonstrated proficiency or above in Language, up from 39 per cent in 2021 and 47 per cent in 2017. In Mathematics, the figure has jumped to 65 per cent, compared to 42 per cent in 2021. These gains reflect the serious and sustained efforts made under the NIPUN Bharat Mission, underscoring how targeted support, teacher mentoring, and early-grade interventions are beginning to bear fruit. The data also show that government schools in rural areas have, in some cases, outperformed their urban and private counterparts in foundational grades. This is a significant development, demonstrating what focused, systemic reform can achieve. However, as we move to Grades VI and IX, the picture becomes more complex. Central government schools have performed well overall, but marginal gaps persist by gender and region, particularly in Mathematics and Science. These are areas that need urgent focus. Many comparisons have been made between PRS 2024 and earlier surveys, which are misplaced and require clarification. The structure of the assessment has changed. Earlier surveys focused on Grades V and VIII, whereas this edition concentrates on Grades VI and IX, aligning with the new curricular stages. Moreover, the shift from textbook learning outcomes to competencies means the assessment tools are fundamentally different. Directly comparing a Grade V outcome from NAS 2021 with a Grade VI outcome from 2024 is methodologically unsound. Only Grade III scores are comparable across all three surveys, and the improvement in these scores is established. Any interpretation that suggests a decline in performance based on comparisons with other grades risks misrepresenting the actual story. What we now have is not just a report card, but a roadmap. The actual value of the data from the survey lies in how they are used locally. PRS provides district-level insights, and it is now the responsibility of states, districts, and school systems to translate these findings into granular, need-based interventions. Every state and UT will need to study its data — where learning levels are strong, where gaps persist, which support systems are working and which are not. The Centre will continue to provide guidance, frameworks, and resources; however, the real impact will come from what is done at the school and district levels. Our goal is not just to meet national benchmarks, but to achieve international comparability, and we are steadily moving in that direction. The importance of assessments, however, does not end with school education. We must also focus on how young people transition into the world of work, entrepreneurship, and economic participation. Skills matter as much as academics. That is why, soon, the government will initiate a qualitative, large-scale skills assessment that will help us understand the skill-readiness of our population, map regional variations, and plan targeted interventions in vocational education and skilling. The recent adoption of a data-driven ITI grading system and inclusion of NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) in the PLFS exercise is also aimed at providing key inputs for our reform process. The ambition is to link learning to livelihood, ensuring that every young Indian is not only educated but also employable, entrepreneurial, and equipped to contribute meaningfully to the country's development. PRS 2024 is a powerful reflection of how far we have come. But it is also a signal of what lies ahead. As we build stronger foundations in school education and expand the horizon of skill development, we remain committed to a system that is inclusive, evidence-driven, and future ready. The writer is Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, and Minister of State for Education, Government of India
