New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) Tuesday made public the district-wise National Achievement Survey data from across the country, including Orissa, showing the average learning outcome of students.
The report provided a district-wise breakup of the average learning outcomes of the students studying at government as well as government-aided schools in all the 30 districts of the state. It included an analysis of random performance of students studying in Classes III, V and VIII in these districts.
According to the survey report, as prepared by the National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT) and the HRD Ministry, the average performance of these students was found to be best in Jagatsinghpur, followed by Cuttack. These students were found to have achieved the maximum learning outcomes in language, mathematics, environmental studies and science.
The same report also hinted at the districts reporting the least learning outcomes in these subjects. The districts with worst learning outcome figures include Raygada, Sambalpur and Koraput. The report ostensibly hinted at regional intra-state disparity in terms of learning outcomes, which differed from subject to subject and also district to district. The National Achievement Survey (NAS) was conducted throughout the country November 13, 2017 for Classes III, V and VIII in government and government-aided schools.
The survey tools used multiple test booklets with 45 questions related to mathematics, language, environmental sciences, sciences and social sciences in Classes III and V and 60 questions in Class VIII.
The competency-based test questions reflected the learning outcomes that were recently incorporated in the Central Rules for the RTE Act by the Centre. Along with the test items, questionnaires pertaining to students, teachers and schools were also used.
According to the ministry, the survey was a transparent and credible exercise undertaken under third-party verification. The learning levels of more than 25 lakh students from 110,000 schools across 700 districts in all the 36 states/UTs were assessed. More than 1.75 lakh trained field investigators from outside the government education system were engaged to conduct the learning assessment in the country.
PNN