Centre's school education assessment flags learning gaps—Maths least favourite, govt schools lag behind

The Print

15 hours ago

Conducted by the Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development (PARAKH)—an independent body under NCERT and Union Ministry of Education—the survey report released Tuesday showed that Mathematics was the subject where students across all three assessed grades performed the lowest.
The PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan, formerly known as the National Achievement Survey (NAS), was conducted on 4 December last year, covering 21,15,022 students from both government and private schools in Grades 3, 6 and 9, across 74,229 schools in 781 districts, spanning 36 States and Union Territories.
New Delhi: Highlighting serious learning gaps in the subject of Mathematics among school students, a government survey has found that less than 60 percent of Class 3 students could fluently perform addition and subtraction of two-digit numbers, with less than 50 percent of Class 6 students able to recognise simple number patterns, like odd and even numbers. Additionally, only 28 percent of Class 9 students could understand and apply the concept of percentages to solve problems.
The survey was revised last year in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The last NAS in 2021 covered Classes 3, 4, 5, 8 and 10. Under the revamped format, it now assesses Classes 3, 6, and 9—marking the beginning of each stage of schooling as outlined in the new policy.
In Class 3, where students were assessed in both Language and Mathematics, the average score in Language was 64 percent, compared to 60 percent in Mathematics.
The survey showed that average performance in Mathematics declined as students progressed through higher grades. Language performance also showed a downward trend.
In Class 6, an additional subject—'The World Around Us'—was introduced alongside Language and Mathematics. Students scored lowest in Mathematics (46 percent), while Language averaged 57 percent, and The World Around Us scored 49 percent nationally. The World Around Us covers the environment and society. It describes the use of natural resources in our immediate surroundings, and basic social and behavioural norms, among others.
In case of class 9, students were assessed in Language, Mathematics, Science and Social Science. Among the four subjects, Language had the highest average score (54 percent), while Mathematics had the lowest (37 percent). Science and Social Science showed equal average performances at 40 percent.
According to Indrani Bhaduri, programme coordinator, CEO and head of PARAKH, the performance of Class 3 students has improved since the previous NAS in 2021, when the average Mathematics score was 57 percent. However, she said that the previous NAS surveys cannot be compared with this one because of the overall change in assessment method.
'In almost all states, the performance of Class 3 has improved due to the NIPUN Bharat initiative. It is only a few states that are pulling down the national average,' she told ThePrint. NIPUN Bharat initiative, or National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy, was launched as part of NEP 2020.
For higher classes, Bhaduri said, the impact of NEP 2020 will take more time to reflect in student outcomes, as learning levels were significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. 'This trend is visible in international assessments like PISA and TIMSS, where higher grades—those most affected by the pandemic—have shown consistently lower performance,' she said.
In terms of state-wise performance, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala and Chandigarh were among the top performers, while Meghalaya, Lakshadweep and Uttarakhand recorded the lowest scores across all classes.
The report said that instances where less than 50 percent of students were able to answer correctly indicate 'learning gaps'.
'These learning gaps highlight the need for focused interventions to strengthen students' skills, refine instructional strategies, and provide additional learning support. Addressing these areas effectively will help improve overall student learning outcomes in the nation,' the report read.
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Govt schools lag in Mathematics
In case of Class 3, central government schools recorded the lowest performance in Mathematics.
Scheduled Tribe (ST) students had the lowest scores across both subjects. Other Backward Class (OBC) and Scheduled Caste (SC) students performed at similar levels, with better outcomes in Language, compared to Mathematics.
Similarly, in case of Class 6, government-aided and state government schools showed weaker performance, especially in Mathematics. In terms of social groups, ST students had the lowest overall scores, Mathematics being the most challenging for them. OBC and SC students recorded moderate performance, with better outcomes in Language than in The World Around Us and Mathematics.
In Class 9 as well, state government and government-aided schools recorded the lowest performance in Mathematics. ST students had the lowest scores across all subjects, with the largest gaps observed in Mathematics.
'SC and OBC students performed similarly, with Language being their strongest subject and Mathematics the weakest across all social groups,' the report read.
A significant rural-urban divide was also observed. While Class 3 students in rural areas performed better in both subjects, Classes 6 and 9 students in urban areas outperformed their rural counterparts across all subjects.
In his message in the report, School Education Secretary Sanjay Kumar said that the survey helped 'identify both our achievements and the challenges that lie ahead'. Moving beyond assessment, the next phase aims to 'translate the findings of the PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024 into meaningful actions', he added, which will involve phased data sharing through workshops at national, regional, state and district levels to 'prepare district-specific roadmaps, where roles and responsibilities are clearly defined'.
'Support will come from layered interventions—short-, mid-, and long-term—including teacher training, community engagement, digital materials, and a Management Information System,' he said.
Science & Social Science also challenging
Only 36 percent of Class 9 students could correctly classify matter based on physical properties (such as state, shape, transparency, magnetism, conductivity) and chemical properties (including purity, acidity, metallic nature and composition). Additionally, just 33 percent accurately described how electricity works by manipulating elements in simple circuits, and demonstrated the heating and magnetic effects of electricity.
In Social Science, only 33 percent of Class 9 students could explain key natural phenomena, such as climate, weather, ocean cycles, soil formation, and river flow, along with their spatial distribution. Meanwhile, 45 percent understood the process of the Indian Constitution's formation, and grasped the ideas and ideals of the Indian National Movement, including those rooted in India's civilisational heritage.
According to the report, the average national score in Social Science for girls was 41 percent, higher than boys at 39 percent. However, in Science, boys scored marginally higher with an average of 41 percent, compared to girls' 39 percent.
(Edited by Mannat Chugh)
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