Lok Sabha Question No. 1110 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-07-26
Subject: Study to Check Quality of Education
Ministry: Education
Asked by: Ramesh Bidhuri

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION AND LITERACY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1110 TO BE ANSWERED ON 26.07.2021

## Study to Check Quality of Education

## 1110. SHRI RAMESH BIDHURI:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether any study/survey has been conducted to evaluate the quality of school education of the country, especially keeping in view the recent increase in online classes;
- (b)   if so, the details thereof; and
- (c)  the steps taken/being taken by the Government to improve the quality of school education to meet the Global Standards of education?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF EDUCATION (SHRI DHARMENDRA PRADHAN)

(a)  &  (b)  The  National  Council  for  Educational  Research  and  Training  (NCERT)  conducts periodic national sample surveys to assess learning achievement of children in Classes - III, V, VIII, and X. The National Achievement Survey (NAS) 2017 was held on 13th November 2017 for assessing the competencies of children at the grade levels III, V and VIII from across 701 districts covering all the 36 States and UTs and covered 22 lakh students from 1.10 lakh schools. NAS (2017) was administered in different subject areas such as Languages, Mathematics, EVS/Science and  Social  Sciences  in  the  Government  and  Government  aided  schools.  Similarly,  National Achievement Survey for Class X was also conducted throughout the country on February 05, 2018 in government, government aided and private schools. The learning levels of 15 lakh students in 44,304  schools  across  610  districts  in  34  States  and  UTs  were  assessed,  in  5  subject  areas  of English, Mathematics, Science, Social Science and Modern Indian Language (MIL).

Further, it has been decided to conduct the next round of National Achievement Survey across the country in November 2021.

(c)  Standard  of  education  is  a  comprehensive  term  that  includes  learners,  teachers,  teaching learning  process,  learning  environment,  curriculum,  pedagogy,  learning  outcomes,  assessment, etc.  Samagra Shiksha focuses on improvement in quality of education by providing support for different interventions to all States and UTs, like in-service training of teachers and school heads, conduct of achievement surveys at state and national level, composite school grant to every school for providing a conducive learning environment, grants for library, sports and physical activities, support for Rashtriya Avishkar Abhiyan, ICT and digital initiatives, School Leadership development programme, remedial teaching for academically weaker students, support for Padhe Bharat Badhe Bharat, etc.

Further, in order to improve the Standard of education, the Government has taken several other steps:-

1. Central RTE Rules have been amended on 20th February, 2017 to include reference on class-wise, subject-wise Learning Outcomes at Elementary level.
2. A 70 indicator based matrix Performance Grading Index (PGI) has been developed to grade the States and UTs.
3. NISHTHA (National Initiative for School Heads and Teachers Holistic Advancement), an Integrated Teacher Training Programme has been introduced.
4. Learning Outcomes for Secondary level have been notified.
5. The National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) was entrusted to conduct  teachers' professional training through ODL (Open Distance Learning) mode.

Also, the National Education Policy, 2020 focuses on improving the quality of education through various  measures  such  as  introduction  of  new  pedagogical  and  curricular  structure,  Early Childhood Care and Education, Foundational Literacy and  Numeracy and Transforming Assessment for Student Development, Experiential and Competency based Learning, etc.

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