Latest news with #PARAKHRashtriyaSarvekshan
Indian Express
an hour ago
- General
- Indian Express
NCERT School Survey: A must know for UPSC current affairs
Take a look at the essential concepts, terms, quotes, or phenomena every day and brush up on your knowledge. Here's your knowledge nugget for today on an important school survey. (Relevance: The Education sector is crucial for the government to attain the goal of Vikshit Bharat. This survey provides an assessment report on the initiatives taken by the government and identifies areas that require further attention. The data provided in the article can be used for value addition in your UPSC Mains. Importantly, questions have been asked on this sector in the UPSC exam. ) Learning levels are yet to bounce back to pre-Covid levels in the primary stage, with students in Class 3 still not having caught up with the performance recorded in 2017, reveals Parakh Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024, a survey conducted by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT). The PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan, which was called the National Achievement Survey (NAS) in previous iterations, assessed 21.15 lakh students in Classes 3, 6, and 9 across 74,229 schools in December 2024. 1. Class 3 students assessed in language and Mathematics fared better compared to 2021, when learning levels were captured in the wake of the pandemic and the resultant disruptions in education, but their scores remained lower than the pre-Covid level in 2017. 2. Notably, the scores of only Class 3 can be compared with 2017 and 2021 since it is the only common class in all three rounds of assessment. The 2017 NAS was held for Classes 3, 5 and 8, while the 2021 NAS was for Classes 3, 5, 8, and 10. 3. Significantly, the 2024 survey was aligned with the stages of the National Education Policy 2020, under which Class 3 marks the end of the foundational stage of school education, Class 6 the end of the preparatory stage, and Class 9 the end of the middle stage. The objective of this survey is to evaluate the effectiveness of India's school education system by assessing competencies at various educational stages. 4. According to its findings, Class 3 students recorded an average national score of 64% in language in 2024 — a two-percentage-point increase from 62% in 2021, but lower than the 2017 score of 66.7%. Similarly, in Maths, the national average score in 2024 was 60% — above the 57% recorded in 2021, but below 63% scored in 2017. 5. In terms of the language competencies they were assessed on, Class 3 students scored the lowest (60%) in reading short stories and comprehending their meaning, while they fared best (67%) in knowing and using words to carry out day-to-day interactions. 6. In Maths, Class 3 students fared poorly in geometric shapes and simple money transactions, scoring an average of 50% in both. They performed best (69%) in identifying simple patterns, shapes, and numbers. 7. PARAKH (Performance Assessment, Review and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development) was set up in 2023 as the National Assessment Centre, with one of its mandates being to organise these achievement surveys. 8. The survey, spearheaded by the NCERT and the CBSE, assesses school students' learning achievements. A sample of school students from government, government-aided and private schools from each district in the country take the assessment. Along with the Parakh survey, there are two other education assessments to gauge learning levels among children. Each tool offers a different lens to India's current education system. Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2024 1. Since 2005, the NGO Pratham has released the Annual Status of Education Report (Rural) to measure basic reading and arithmetic levels among school children, attendance in school, and other indicators. 2. The 2024 survey, which was released in January this year, recorded major gains in the share of children of the pre-primary age group (3 to 5 years) enrolled in some kind of institution (LKG/UKG/Anganwadi/others). 3. There were substantial increases in reading and arithmetic levels – an encouraging development after the learning losses during the Covid-19 pandemic. This was also the first full-length ASER survey to record digital literacy among older children (15 and 16 years). Keeping with recent trends, the percentage of children in this age group not enrolled in school has gone down (around 7% today). 4. This year's survey also showed that in terms of digital access, more than 90% of rural adolescents have access to a smartphone. Children were also evaluated on their ability to do tasks such as searching for information online or setting an alarm. In terms of both accessibility and skills, there were some gender gaps. For instance, 80.1% of boys (ages 14 to 16) could browse for information, against 78.6% of girls. In some southern states, girls either outperformed boys or were at the same level as them. 5. According to the report, the basic reading levels for Class 3 children enrolled in government schools have been the highest since the survey began 20 years ago. Reading level: The number of Class 3 children who can read a Class 2 textbook in government schools stands at 23.4%, up from 16.3% in 2022 and 20.9% in the pre-pandemic year of 2018. Overall reading levels, across both government and private schools, too improved from 20.5% in 2022 to 27.1% in 2024, almost touching the pre-pandemic level of 27.3%. Arithmetic levels, too, improved across both government and private schools. The percentage of Class 5 students who can read a Class 2 textbook has gone up from 42.8% in 2022 to 48.7% in 2024. 6. FLS was a one-time nationwide exercise conducted by NCERT in 2022 to assess the Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) after the launch of the National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy (NIPUN) Bharat in July 2021. 7. NIPUN is a national mission that aims to enable all children at the end of Grade 3 to attain foundational skills by the year 2026-2027. 8. The FLS Study is a school-based performance assessment where a selected sample of children from grade 3 were assessed by a test administrator in a one-on-one setting where each child responded to a set of questions administered orally. 9. It found that 37 per cent of students enrolled in Class III have 'limited' foundational numeracy skills, such as identifying numbers, while 11 per cent 'lack the most basic knowledge and skills'. 10. It also assessed the literacy skills of students in 20 languages, including English. While 15 per cent lacked 'basic skills' in English, 30 per cent were found to have 'limited skills'. Consider the following statements: 1. Parakh Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024, released by NITI Aayog, has revealed that the enrollment of students in class III has increased. 2. NIPUN mission aims to enable all children at the end of Grade 3 to attain foundational skills by the year 2026-2027. Which of the following statements is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 (Source: Class 3 learning still lower than pre-Covid level: Govt survey, ASER 2024, National survey of students soon: What is it, how it has changed from previous years) Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X. 🚨 Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for June 2025. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at Khushboo Kumari is a Deputy Copy Editor with The Indian Express. She has done her graduation and post-graduation in History from the University of Delhi. At The Indian Express, she writes for the UPSC section. She holds experience in UPSC-related content development. You can contact her via email: ... Read More
The Hindu
2 days ago
- General
- The Hindu
Govt. aided schools fail to sustain results in higher classes: survey
State government and aided schools scored more than private and Central government schools in Class III, but could not sustain the lead in higher classes, the results of the PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan have shown. PARAKh Sarvekshan, earlier known as National Achievement Survey, assessed the performance of 46,737 Class III, VI, and IX students in 1,899 schools across the 14 districts in the State. In Class III, State government schools and aided schools scored 78% in Language, which was not only higher than the national average but also than that scored by private and Central government schools (71%). In Mathematics too, the pattern was repeated with government and aided schools scoring 74% while private and Central government schools students scored 63% and 62%, respectively. By Class VI, Central government schools had turned the tables. They had the highest score of 80% in Language, with private schools scoring 77%, aided schools close behind at 76%, and government schools at 75%. In Mathematics too, Central government schools topped with a score of 66%, with the other three management types tied at 59%. In Class IX too, Central government schools performed better. In Language, they scored 82%, just slightly ahead of private schools with 81%. Government and aided schools were tied at 69%. In Mathematics, Central government schools with 52% did much better than private schools that scored 46%. Aided institutions were next with 43% and government schools scored 42%. Education officials said students currently in Class VI in State government and aided schools were severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, unlike students in Class III now. Class IX students were also affected to an extent, but their results had to be studied in detail. The result pattern in the State was similar to the all-India trend, they said. While girls in the State did better than boys across all three grades, students from rural schools did better than those in urban schools in Class III, scoring 76% and 75%, respectively, in Language and 71% and 68% in Mathematics. The situation changed by Class VI when urban students edged out rural students by 2 percentage points in Language, Mathematics, and 'The World Around Us.' In Class IX, urban students maintained the advantage on rural students, scoring 1 percentage point more in Mathematics, 2 percentage points more in Science and Social Science, and 4 percentage points more in Language.
The Hindu
5 days ago
- General
- The Hindu
Kerala students do better in Language than in Mathematics across grades, shows achievement survey
The Kerala results of the PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan, formerly known as National Achievement Survey, have shown that the margin students in the State had over the national average has increased through the grades in Language but is not as consistent in Mathematics. In Grade III, the average performance of students in Kerala in Language was 75%, against the national average of 64%, a difference of 11 percentage points. In Grade VI, the State average in Language was 76%, while the national average was 57%, a gap of 19 percentage points. The gap further increased to 20 percentage points in Grade IX with the students' average performance in the State at 74%, against the national average of 54%. In Mathematics too, the State students' average is higher than the national average in all three Grades surveyed. However, the margin is not as consistent as in the case of Language. The 10% margin State students have over the national average in Mathematics in Grade III increases to 14% in Grade VI, but dips to 8% in Grade IX. State students in Class III did better in some mathematical competencies such as sorting objects into groups and sub-groups based on more than one property (80% as compared to 68% national average), arranging number up to 99 in ascending or descending order (72% against 55% nationally), or identifying simple patterns in their surroundings, shapes, and numbers (86% State average to 69% national average). However, they did not fare well when it came to recognising multiplication as repeated addition or division as equal sharing (53% against 54% national score). Only 57% could perform simple monetary transactions up to ₹100 (50% national average), and only 59% could recognise classify basic geometric shapes (50% national score). In Grade VI, while their grasp of the Indian number system (71% against 54% nationally) or odd, even, square numbers, and cubes was good (69% against 49% national score), they struggled to carry out simple unit conversions (43% as compared to 38% nationally). In Grade IX, students in the State only did slightly better than those countrywide when it came to application of percentage to solve problems (31% against 28% nationally), understanding whole numbers, real numbers, fractions, and integers and visualising them on the number line (36% against 31% nationally), or application of fractions (36% against national score of 31%). Even when their scores were significantly higher than the national average, only 50% of them discover patterns in numbers such as multiples of seven or understand congruence or similarity in geometric shapes and only 49% could use formulae to determine area. This highlights the need for special intervention in Mathematics, says State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) Director Jayaprakash R.K. The SCERT plans to address the issue by focussing more on teacher training. It is also mulling getting subject experts who have prepared the new Mathematics textbooks as per the revised curriculum to communicate to teachers how to transact lessons in class so that students understand the logic behind a mathematical concept. This could be in the form of short videos that teachers could easily view on mobile phones, says Dr. Jayaprakash.
New Indian Express
5 days ago
- Science
- New Indian Express
Students in Odisha surpass national average in learning levels, states PARAKH survey
BHUBANESWAR: Learning levels of school students in Odisha has exceeded the national average. Not only are they doing well at the foundational stage but also performing better in the higher grades. The Performance Assessment, Review and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development (PARAKH) Rashtriya Sarvekshan-2024 report published by the Ministry of Education on Wednesday has revealed that there has been significant improvement in learning levels of students in grades III, VI and IX in language, science, social science and mathematics subjects. The outcomes are above the national average in all the three grades, which are considered crucial stages in school learning. The PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan, formerly known as the National Achievement Survey (NAS), was conducted by NCERT's National Assessment Centre on December 4 last year. It assessed the performance of 96,054 students in grades III, VI and IX spread throughout 3,839 schools (both government and private) in 30 districts. The report revealed that Odisha along with Punjab, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan were consistently among the top-10 states throughout all three grades. In Class III, the average performance of students of the state in language and mathematics was one per cent (pc) higher than the national average which stood at 64 pc. Interestingly, students of government schools in this grade were at par with those in private schools as far as performance in both the subjects is concerned. Which means, students could identify words, their meanings, read stories and understand them, besides, carry out basic maths problems. At Class VI level, students have excelled in subjects like language, mathematics and 'The World Around Us'. Performance in language was 64 pc against national average of 57 pc, while it was 51 pc against the national average of 46 pc in maths, and in 'The World Around Us', the students scored 54 pc, four pc higher than the national average of 49 pc.
Time of India
7 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
Nearly half of class VI students struggle with reading; 63% of class IX fail basic math: Govt survey reveals
The Ministry of Education's PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan revealed significant learning gaps among Indian students. About 43% of Class VI students struggle to grasp main ideas in texts, while 63% of Class IX students have difficulty recognizing basic numerical patterns and concepts like fractions and integers. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads According to the Ministry of Education's PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan (formerly National Achievement Survey ), 43% of Indian students in Class VI struggle to understand the main ideas in texts, while 63% of Class IX students find it difficult to recognize simple numerical patterns or grasp basic concepts such as fractions and integers. In what further highlights the scale of learning gaps in the country's education system, 54% of Class VI students are unable to compare whole numbers or read large PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan, conducted in December last year, assessed 21,15,022 students from Grades III, VI and IX across 74,229 schools, both govt and private, in 781 districts spanning 36 states and union instance, students struggled with tasks like identifying multiples of 7, powers of 3, prime numbers, and applying percentage and fraction concepts to daily-life problems. Science and social science learning was no better, with over 60% of Class IX students failing to meet minimum competency benchmarks. In science, students were unable to classify matter based on physical and chemical characteristics, describe changes in matter using the particulate nature of substances, or explain properties of a science tests required students to gather and analyze information from maps, charts, and texts, as well as explain natural phenomena like climate and soil formation, but most did not reach the expected Class VI students, the results were similarly troubling. In language skills, 43% struggled to use comprehension techniques such as inference, prediction, and visualization, and had difficulty understanding main ideas or drawing conclusions from reading material. Mathematics posed the greatest difficulty, with 54% unable to represent numbers using place value, compare whole numbers, or use the four basic operations to solve everyday the foundational stage in Class III, only 55% of students could arrange numbers up to 99 in ascending or descending order, and just 58% could perform addition and subtraction of two-digit numbers. In mathematics, central govt schools recorded the lowest performance in this study revealed that the rural-urban divide and gender gaps persist in critical areas. Central govt-run schools (Kendriya Vidyalayas) emerged as the best performers, yet even for them the data showed concerning trends. The survey also flagged wide inter-state variations. Among the top ten states, Punjab, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, and Rajasthan figured consistently for all three grades. Conversely, J&K and Meghalaya featured on the list of ten worst-performing states across the three grades, with states like West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand and Jharkhand being among poor performers for two grades.(With TOI inputs)
