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India Gazette
a day ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
Himachal leaps from 21st to 5th rank in School Education Performance index: Education Minister Rohit Thakur
Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], June 27 (ANI): Himachal Pradesh Education Minister Rohit Thakur on Friday hailed the state's remarkable turnaround in school education, declaring that it has reclaimed its position as a leader in educational outcomes. 'It is a matter of great pride for Himachal Pradesh that historically, from the time of Dr YS Parmar, the architect of modern Himachal, we have been known for achievements in education. Back in 1947, the literacy rate was merely 7 per cent, which rose to 83 per cent by 2011,' Thakur told reporters in Shimla. However, he acknowledged that in recent years, Himachal Pradesh had been witnessing a decline in the quality of education. 'The recent surveys conducted during the tenure of the previous government were worrying and disappointing. The National Achievement Survey conducted by the Government of India showed that in 2021, Himachal, once among the top five states, slipped to 21st position, which was a major shock for us,' he said. 'The ASER report also revealed that eighth-grade students were unable even to read or comprehend subjects of the third-grade curriculum. Similarly, in the Performance Grading Index (PGI), the state fell to 18th position, which clearly reflected the deterioration in academic performance,' Thakur said. Thakur said that the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Congress government, which came to power in December 2022, inherited a crumbling education system along with a broken economy, and it posed a dual challenge. 'I may not be an academician, but I am a hard taskmaster,' he said, adding that strict measures were implemented, and with the cooperation of officials, employees and teachers, the department accepted the challenge head-on. 'ASER Now Ranks Himachal No. 1 in Reading and Learning', he said. 'We took bold steps, and today, these reforms are showing results. The ASER report now places Himachal Pradesh at the top for reading and learning outcomes. We even surpassed Kerala. In the Performance Grading Index, Himachal has climbed back from 21st to 5th position in 2024,' he informed. 'In the recent learning outcome tests, Himachal ranked 2nd in Class 3, 4th in Class 9, and 5th overall nationally. Moving from 21st to 5th is no small feat,' he said. The minister emphasised that the education department had focused on consolidation rather than expansion and had worked efficiently with limited resources. 'We said we would consolidate our department, and within two and a half years, there have been visible achievements. We started the cluster system, brought directorates together, and filled thousands of vacant posts,' he added. Thakur revealed that 3,600 schools and institutions were functioning with just one teacher, which had adversely affected performance. 'We approved 5,800 posts in education, of which around 4,000 have already been recruited. The number of single-teacher schools has now been reduced to half,' he said. 'We also recruited 700 lecturers through the Commission, whereas the previous government managed only 500 appointments in five years,' he noted. 'To implement NEP-related directives and streamline higher education, 119 new principal posts have been filled in 136 colleges, most of which earlier had no principals,' the minister said. 'For the school cadre, no regular promotions of principals have been done since 2017. We have now regularised nearly 1,900 school principals, and the promotion process has begun,' Thakur said. He also assured that PGT and school cadre promotions would be completed within two months and that the introduction of English-medium sections and exposure visits were all part of efforts to raise educational quality. Rohit Thakur also addressed the sensitive issue of school closures and mergers, explaining the rationale behind the decisions. 'Around 450 schools had no students for nearly 12 years. We merged these schools. In some areas, like Lahaul-Spiti, there were eight teachers for just three students. Enrollment is declining, and migration is a factor,' he said. 'Where there is demand, we will deploy more teachers. But we must rationalise resources,' Thakur told ANI. He stated that reforms have now been tied to clear performance outcomes, and the responsibilities of principals, headmasters, directors, and additional directors have been redefined. 'Unless we link reforms with measurable results, they will not deliver. We are now doing exactly that,' Thakur added. (ANI)
The Print
5 days ago
- General
- The Print
Infra & safety gaps to poor digital learning record, what Centre's index says about Bengal schools
The schools were assessed on six categories: learning outcomes (learning access, teacher availability), effective classroom transactions, infrastructure facilities & student entitlements, school safety & child protection, digital learning and governance process. The Performance Grading Index for 2022-23 and 2023-24 evaluated schools—government and private—at the state and district level across India. Kolkata: From inadequate infrastructure and below par safety protocols for students, to underutilisation of allocated funds and abysmal digital learning record, schools across 24 districts of West Bengal have fared poorly on most indicators used to assess education, according to a report released by the Union Ministry of Education last Wednesday. The grading scale for both states/UTs and districts was different. While the total score for states was 1,000, for districts it was 600. The states/UTs were classified under 10 different grades, ranging from Daksh (competent) or grade 1 (states/UTs scoring between 91 percent and 100 percent), to Akanshi-3 (aspirational) or grade 10 (states/UTs scoring up to 10 percent). All other grades in between were separated by 10 percentage points. At the district level too, 10 different grades ranging from 1 to 10 were allocated. The highest score was grade 1 (districts scoring more than 90 percent of total points), also called Utkarsh (excellent), while the lowest score was grade 10 (districts scoring up to 10 percent), or Akanshi-3. West Bengal schools' overall performance—both at the national and district level—leaves much to be desired. At the national level, it was graded as Akanshi-1, a category with scores between 521 and 580 or 21-30 percent in both 2022-23 and 2023-24. District-level data also showed that all is not well in the classrooms of West Bengal. For instance, in the infrastructure facilities & school entitlements category, half of the districts (12 of 24) saw a slight fall in scores. This category aims to gauge the infrastructure and facilities available at schools, such as libraries, laboratories, ramps with railings, sports equipment, kitchen gardens, etc. It also takes into account whether elementary schools received free textbooks and uniforms within a month of start of academic session, and the number of girls in higher grades who received special incentives such as scholarships, bicycles, etc. The report counts Siliguri—a subdivision of Darjeeling district—as a separate district. One category where almost all the districts performed badly is digital learning, which looks at student-to-computer ratio, proportion of teachers trained in use of computers, availability of internet connection, etc. in schools. The average score received by West Bengal districts is an abysmal 5.5 out of 50 in 2022-23 and 5.6 in 2023-24. Kolkata had the highest score of 12 and 13 (out of 50) in 2022-23 and 2023-24, respectively, followed by Siliguri. The report also highlights how safety protocols for students get little priority across many state districts, including Kolkata, Murshidabad, Hooghly, Malda and Nadia. The average score of the 24 districts in this category was 3.5 (out of 35) in 2022-23 and 4.5 in 2023-24. The school safety & child protection category evaluates the safety of students through the schools' preparedness for disaster management, self-defence training provided to girls, etc. West Bengal has also underutilised the Centre's Samagra Shiksha funds and has gaps in administrative processes such as digitisation of students' and teachers' attendance, according to the report. The average score earned by the districts in the governance process category is 30.2 (out of 84) in 2022-23 and 30.8 in 2023-24. Also Read: Out-of-school children: Centre flags huge mismatch in Bihar, Jharkhand data & national survey North 24 Parganas beats Kolkata Among 24 districts of West Bengal, it is not capital Kolkata but North 24 Parganas that scored the highest (302 out of 600) overall in 2023-24, and became the only state district to earn Prachesta-1 (endeavouring) or grade 5 (between 51 percent and 60 percent) status. The district scored 166 out of 290 in the outcome category, which assesses areas such as number of children in different grades who have a proficiency in letters, numbers, modern Indian languages, science; number of students in grade 1 who have had at least one year of pre-primary schooling; number of out-of-school students who could be brought back to school; availability of teachers, teacher-pupil ratio, etc. It further scored 34 out of 51 in infrastructure facilities & student entitlements, but a meagre 5 out of 35 in school safety & child protection, and just 7 out of 50 in digital learning. All other state districts were either graded Prachesta-2 or Prachesta-3 in both years. In 2022-23, 15 districts were graded Prachesta-2 while 9 were graded Prachesta-3. In 2023-24, North 24 Parganas improved one place to earn Prachesta-1, Birbhum, Siliguri and Malda improved their grade to enter Prachesta-2, and six other districts were graded Prachesta-3. There was also a wide margin between the top performing district, North 24 Parganas, which scored 302 in 2023-24, and Uttar Dinajpur, which at 216 scored the lowest. Where districts stand overall None of the districts in the country received the top two grades of Utkarsh and Uttam-1 (superior). A single district reached Uttam-2 in 2023-24, while there was none in this category in 2022-23. At the national level, West Bengal was graded Akanshi-1. Other states/UTs in this category included Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Sikkim. Chandigarh earned the highest grade in the country, while Meghalaya earned the lowest. The Centre's report has come at a time when the West Bengal education system is embroiled in the school service commission recruitment scandal. Around 26,000 teaching and non-teaching staff lost their jobs this year after the Supreme Court ruled in April that the 2016 recruitment process conducted by the West Bengal School Service Commission was tainted and upheld the Calcutta High Court's cancellation of such recruitments. Protests are ongoing in the state by staffers who have alleged that they are being terminated unfairly because of corruption in the education sector. Priyadarshini Basu is an intern who graduated from ThePrint School of Journalism. (Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui) Also Read: Bihar slips in Centre's school index—infra decline in 14 of 38 districts, lags in digital learning
New Indian Express
21-06-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
Education quality in Odisha govt schools goes up; digital literacy a concern, says PGI report
BHUBANESWAR: Access to school education and learning outcome of students in government schools of Odisha have improved significantly in the last two years. The Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2.0 report of the Ministry of Education for 2022-23 and 2023-24, which was released on Wednesday has ranked Odisha among the top-5 performing states in school education. The PGI is an assessment of school education in 10 domains including access, learning outcome and quality, infrastructure and facilities, equity, governance processes, teacher education and training. The states and UTs were scored out of 1,000 points and classified into 10 grades from Daksh (top), Prachesta (mid-level) to Akanshi-3 (lowest). While no state/UT figured in the higher score ranges of 700 to 1,000 except Chandigarh, 10 others including Odisha scored in the 581-640 range (31 pc to 40 pc), achieving Prachesta-3 grade. While the state in the 2022-23 academic session had scored 584.5 points out of 1,000, this score improved by 11 points to 595.6 in 2023-24. It is the top-5 state as far as the overall score of 2023-24 session is concerned. The state has also been able to improve enrolment, retention of students, transition of students to next grade, identification and mainstreaming of out-of-school children etc., which come under the access domain. In fact, Bihar, Telangana and Odisha are the top-3 states to do so. In 2022-23, the state had scored 59.2 in the access domain which rose to 65.6 in 2023-24. In the district-specific assessment PGI-D, the districts were evaluated for 600 points across six categories of learning outcomes, effective classroom transaction, infrastructure facilities & student entitlements, school safety & child protection, digital learning and governance process. In Odisha, Jharsuguda continued to score the highest points in both the academic sessions, while Rayagada was the lowest performer. However, what has come as a matter of concern is the digital literacy of students in government schools. None of the districts except Jharsuguda, Khurda, Sambalpur and Sonepur scored more than 20 points out of 50.
Time of India
20-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Punjab ranks 2nd after Chandigarh in Performance Grading Index
Jalandhar: Punjab has distinguished itself in the Union ministry of education's recently released Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2.0 for 2022-23 and 2023-24. While bracketed with nine other states, Punjab's scores are second only to topper Chandigarh for both academic years. The state, however, leads the crucial 'learning outcomes' domain, though this data is derived from the National Achievement Survey-2021. Chandigarh holds the second position in this category. The PGI 2.0 evaluates the performance of states and UTs across 70 indicators, categorised into six key domains: learning outcomes, access, infrastructure and facilities, equity, governance process, and teacher education and training. Punjab registered overall scores of 614.1 for 2022-23 and 631.2 for 2023-24. In comparison, Chandigarh's scores were 687.8 in 2022-23, rising to 703.0 in 2023-24. Punjab also outperformed Delhi for both years, with the capital scoring 579.3 in 2022-23 and 623.7 in 2023-24. 'Learning Outcomes' crucial domain The report points out that 'learning outcomes' is perhaps the most important domain and is the ultimate objective of the index. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025 Top Trending local enterprise accounting software [Click Here] Esseps Learn More Undo Punjab scored 113.4, followed by Chandigarh with 103.6. "For 20 indicators related to the learning outcomes domain and equity domain, data is drawn from NAS 2021," the report mentions. The report further mentions that unlike other domains, relatively easier to comply with, improving learning outcomes takes time and patience. "All other domains support learning outcomes and ultimately converge towards it. In this domain, all the indicators covered are measured via the NAS," the report says. Mixed progress in other domains A comparison of 2022-23 and 2023-24 shows that in the other four domains, Punjab's scores improved in infrastructure and facilities (+13), governance performance (+2), and teachers training and training (+4), but in one year, its score fell in access (-2). Performance of the domain 'access' is measured through enrolment, retention of students, transition of students to the next grade, identification, and mainstreaming of out-of-school children. Punjab was in the 22nd position when the Performance Grading Index started in 2017-18, and in 2018-19, it improved to the 13th position. The state was at the top in the PG Index 2019-20 released in June 2021. In the PG Index 2020-21, Punjab was once again among the top performers and attained level II along with six other states, while Delhi could get in Level III with 29 overall marks less than Punjab. For the third consecutive year in 2021-22, Punjab was at number two in the overall performance with 647.4 scores, while Chandigarh was at the top with 659 scores. BOX 'Learning Outcomes' data from Amarinder's tenure As the data for 'Learning Outcome', the most significant domain, has been taken from NAS-2021, this performance pertains to Captain Amarinder Singh's tenure as chief minister. During this time, then education secretary Krishan Kumar spearheaded reforms, with the full political backing of Amarinder. Krishan remained at the helm of the department for over four-and-a-half years, and within days after Amarinder lost his chair in Sept 2021, the former was moved to the higher education department. MSID:: 121977911 413 |
Time of India
20-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
Noida tops school education rankings in state, Ghaziabad fourth
Noida: Gautam Budh Nagar emerged as the only district in the state to be placed in the high-performing category in schooling and education standards in 2023-24, according to the central govt's Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2.0. The report, released by the Union education ministry on Friday, showed that Noida scored 309 out of 600 points, putting it in the Pracheshta-1 (51-60%) category. The district improved its count from 272 in the previous academic year. It was followed by Jhansi (299), Varanasi (292) and Ghaziabad, which was ranked fourth with a score of 288 – all under the relatively lower Pracheshta-2 category. Under PGI, assessment is made for each district out of 600 points divided into six broad categories – outcomes, effective classroom transaction, infrastructure facilities & student entitlements, school safety & child protection, digital learning and governance process. These categories have 11 separate domains, including learning outcomes and quality, access outcomes (AO), teacher availability, attendance monitoring systems, etc. Based on cumulative points, each district is given grades – the highest being 'Utkarsh' (for scoring over 90% of total points), and the lowest, Akanshi-3 (up to 10%). In the latest findings, Noida scored well in overall outcome and effective classroom transaction. Both NCR districts – Noida and Ghaziabad – scored just 19 out of 50 in digital learning. In 2023-23, there was no district in UP to score over 50% and be included in Pracheshta-1. Jhansi scored the highest that year, with an overall score of 287. It was followed by Noida, at 272, and Ghaziabad at 259.
