Latest news with #StateLevelAchievementSurvey
The Hindu
6 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Absenteeism in public examinations has come down, says Minister Anbil Mahesh
Minister for School Education Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi on Wednesday said that there has been a significant reduction in absenteeism in public examinations over the last two years. Speaking to the reporters after a review meeting regarding the State Level Achievement Survey (SLAS) in Pudukottai, he said that there has been a notable improvement in the last two years in reducing absenteeism in public exams and school dropouts. 'Efforts have been taken to make the absentees appear for supplementary exams and convince the parents of the dropouts to send their children back to school. We are keen on preventing students from leaving the education system.' He added that block-level review has been conducted in the district, and the low-performing block has been instructed to improve its performance by next year. When asked about the steps to improve infrastructure in government schools, Mr. Poyyamozhi said that the infrastructural needs, such as new classrooms, toilets, etc, in each school have been noted and would be fulfilled soon. So far, over 8,000 classrooms have been constructed in the State at a cost of ₹5,500 crore, he added. Earlier, Mr. Poyyamozhi held a review meeting for the school heads of government and aided schools in Thanjavur. The School Education Department conducted the SLAS for students of classes III, V and IIIV in government and aided schools to identify learning gaps and plan academic interventions. As many as 11,550 Class III students from 1,374 schools, 12,540 Class V students from 1,379 schools and 10,663 Class IIIV students from 548 schools took the exam, and the district secured 58.41 per cent in SLAS. Steps would be taken to carry out the survey and improve the learning ability in children, he added.
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- General
- New Indian Express
Coimbatore school education department lays down action plan to solve learning gaps
COIMBATORE: Following the poor performance in the State Level Achievement Survey (SLAS), the district school education department has implemented an action plan to resolve learning gaps and improve learning outcomes among primary school students. This action plan has been executed in primary and middle schools with the help of the District Institute of Education and Training (DIET). An educational officer told TNIE that as per the action plan, students were categorised into four educational levels based on performance-- A, B, C, and D. "Based on this, teachers will place greater emphasis on C and D category students. Their teaching method will prioritise conceptual understanding over memorisation. Before this, teachers should ensure that reading and writing skills are strong," he said. "Following this, headmasters should assess students' learning outcomes twice every week. Secondly, Block Resource Teacher Educators (BRTEs) and Block Educational Officers (BEOs) will review student assessment reports and also assess students themselves.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Labs at 2,676 govt schools in Tamil Nadu to be made hi-tech at a cost of Rs65 crore
Coimbatore: School education minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi on Sunday said the state had allocated Rs65 crore to upgrade laboratories in 2,676 govt schools across Tamil Nadu into hi-tech ones. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "Currently, work is on to upgrade the laboratories in 850 govt schools that were in poor condition. We have installed 22,939 smart boards in govt schools so far. The govt has also spent nearly Rs600 crore on the implementation of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, in the past three years. The state is planning to move for a special leave petition (SLP) before the Supreme Court in connection with the Madras high court's order on the RTE admission. The RTE portal will be opened after that," the minister said. Admitting that the govt schools were facing shortage of computer teachers, the minister said, "While the state has plans to introduce artificial intelligence and robotics in govt schools, a permanent solution to the teacher shortage is being worked out and will be resolved shortly. Meanwhile, temporary trainers have been appointed at the hi-tech labs to assist students." He said around 9.8 lakh govt and aided school students were assessed under the State Level Achievement Survey to get a picture of the learning outcomes. Addressing a meeting to review the State Level Achievement Survey, 2025, the minister stated that Valparai, Pollachi, Periyanaickenpalayam and Sulthanpet blocks in the district were among the best performers, while Thondamuthur and Sulur required attention. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "It is appreciated that the teachers have identified and accepted the weaknesses. With acceptance comes improvement. Even if students perform well in the board exams, it is important to focus on their learning outcomes right from Class I to IX. All pass methods in these Classes will reflect on the board exams, and students will face the consequences. To avoid such impacts, it is necessary to mould them at every Class. Headmasters should motivate teachers to stay updated in their subjects, provide an interesting learning environment and simplify complex topics," the minister said.
Time of India
04-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
Madurai ranks third in state-level learning survey, but scores dip in higher classes
Madurai: Madurai district has ranked third in the State Level Achievement Survey (SLAS) 2025, which assessed learning outcomes among gov and aided school students in Classes III, V, and VIII. The district consistently scored above the state average, particularly in Class III, but showed a steady decline in performance in higher classes. According to data accessed by TOI, among 11,064 Class III students surveyed across 1,228 schools in Madurai, scores were above 70% in Tamil, English, and EVS. However, Maths lagged at 62.78%, with just 13% of students meeting the learning outcome for comparing numbers based on place value. "The sample included around 20 students per school and was evaluated independently by trained District Institutes of Education and Training (DIET) college students," said an official from the education department. "Even though performance dipped in higher classes, the district remained above the state average." In Class V, among 12,074 students from 1,230 schools, the average score in English dropped to 56.8%, with only 40% achieving the benchmark for reading comprehension. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Dukung Orang Terkasih Menghadapi Limfoma: Mulai Di Sini Limfoma Baca Undo Maths and EVS hovered around 63%. In Class VIII, scores further declined — 43.3% in English and 44.7% in Maths. Reading comprehension in English dropped to 25%, while performance in higher-order Maths was also weak. Science and Social Science scores stood at 43.08% and 60.92%, respectively. Teachers cited poor attendance and an unfavourable student-teacher ratio as key factors behind the decline. "Most students come from Tamil-medium backgrounds, so difficulties in English are expected," said a Madurai school headmaster. "Subjects like Maths require regular attendance, which remains inconsistent since attendance is not mandatory for passing." Girls outperformed boys, and urban students scored better than their rural peers across all levels. The lack of adequate staffing was also flagged. "Many rural primary schools have just two teachers, often managing multiple classes. The sanctioned second teacher is appointed only when student strength crosses 70," said P Sreenivasan, district secretary of the Tamil Nadu Primary School Teachers Federation. Alongside Madurai, other southern districts such as Kanyakumari, Tenkasi, and Sivagangai also ranked among the state's top five performers. Kanyakumari led the state with an overall score of 66.5%, with three of its blocks featuring among the best-performing in Tamil Nadu.
Time of India
31-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
Coimbatore district hits ‘bottom line' in learning outcome survey
Coimbatore: The district has cut a sorry figure in the state-level survey to assess the learning outcomes among the govt and aided school students of Classes III, V and VIII - at 38th, Coimbatore was ranked last in the state. In the State Level Achievement Survey, 2025, conducted jointly by the State Planning Commission, Samagra Shiksha, State Council for Educational Research and Training, and the Directorate of School and Elementary Education, Kanyakumari topped the state with a pass percentage of 66.55, followed by Madurai (63.72) and Cuddalore (63.66). Coimbatore recorded an overall pass percentage of 48.24, below the state average in all subjects - Tamil, English, mathematics, environmental science, science and social science. Among the district's 15 revenue blocks, Thondamuthur fared the worst, with an average pass percentage of 40.34 across subjects. A primary school teacher, who did not wish to be named, said the survey was not like regular school exams. "The exam contained logical, higher-order thinking and application-based questions. Some students, especially those in Class III, needed explanations to understand them. They found it difficult to answer the questions. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo They require practice to attempt such exams." He said the exam was conducted in a very strict manner in the district. "Final-year students of arts and engineering colleges supervised the test. Teachers were not allowed in the exam halls. We are unsure how strictly it was conducted in other districts." S Chandrasekar, Coimbatore zonal coordinator of Palli Kalvi Pathukappu Iyakkam, blamed the lack of monitoring in govt schools for the district's poor performance. "Earlier, Covid lockdowns were cited as a reason for the learning gap. But even after three years, the situation has not improved much." He said regular inspections should be conducted to assess classroom teaching, and special attention must be given to slow learners. "A district-level monitoring committee should be formed to review teaching methods and improvements." A Thangabasu, state vice-president, Tamil Nadu Primary School Teachers Federation, highlighted the acute shortage of teachers at the primary level. "Many retired teachers have not been replaced in the past 12 years. Several elementary and middle schools function with just one teacher, handling Classes I to V." He said Coimbatore was also the district that assigns the most teachers to booth level officer duties, which involve the job of voter list verification, conducting electoral camps and booth slip distribution. "When we complain, officials say the revenue department lacks adequate staff." According to him, teachers are burdened with non-teaching work, including uploading student data on the Education Management Information System portal, handling Aadhaar corrections, conducting camps and managing scholarship details. "These duties distract teachers from focusing on academics. The School Education Department should fill vacancies and free teachers from non-academic tasks to improve learning outcomes," Thangabasu said. When contacted, chief education officer R Balamurali said the teachers would be sensitised on the survey findings. "District Institute of Education and Training will provide training focused on improving learning outcomes. Continuous follow-ups will be done post-training, with attention at revenue block and school levels."
