India's NAS - National Achievement Survey 2021

India's huge NAS survey 2021 is complete. An update.

India's NAS - National Achievement Survey 2021

---

Read more on - Polity | Economy | Schemes | S&T | Environment

---

• The story: To assess the Indian students' learning outcomes and how the education system is performing, the Union Government conducted its National Achievement Survey (NAS) across India. It assessed approx. 38 lakh students from 1.23 lakh schools in 733 districts in 36 States and Union Territories. That is a huge exercise indeed. 
• Details: The NAS was last conducted in 2017 and was scheduled to take place in 2020. The Covid situation led to its postponment until this year (2021).

1. This nationwide survey helps assess the learning outcomes and health of the education system. It is the largest, sample-based education survey conducted across India, undertaken by the Ministry of Education, and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) conducted it.
2. The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) designed an assessment framework and tools for NAS-2021. It provides a system-level reflection on the effectiveness of school education.
3. Information is taken on relevant background variables such as school environment, teaching processes, and student home and background factors. It covers the whole spectrum of schools including Government schools (both State and Central government), Government-aided schools, and Private schools across India.

• Medium and Grades: The NAS was conducted in 22 mediums of instruction that covered English, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Hindi, Malayalam, Marathi, Manipuri, Mizo, Punjabi, Odia, Telugu, Tamil, Bodo, Urdu, Garo, Konkani, Khasi, Bhutia, Nepali, and Lepcha. It was conducted in different subjects for different grades. The subject and grades wise break up is below:

Grade 3 and 5: Language, EVS, and Mathematics

Grade 8: Language, Science, Mathematics, and Social Science

Grade 10: Language, Science, Mathematics, Social Science, and English

• Objective: To provide structured feedback on student learning levels at District, State, and national levels. These inputs are used for policy planning and designing pedagogical interventions to improve quality and ensure equity in learning. It will help in assessing the learning interruptions and new learnings during the Covid-19 pandemic which will in turn help to take remedial measures.
• The future: The findings will help in diagnosing a systematic understanding of the consequences that prolonged closure of schools has had on the learning of students in terms of their socio-emotional and cognitive development. It will help resolve the learning gaps of students and devising education policies, learning, and teaching practices. Through its diagnostic report cards, NAS findings help in capacity building for teachers, officials involved in the delivery of education.
• Constitutional Provisions: The Part IV of Indian Constitution, via Article 45 and Article 39 (f) of Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP), has a provision for state-funded as well as equitable and accessible education. The 42nd Amendment to the Constitution in 1976 moved education from the State to the Concurrent List. The 86th Amendment in 2002 made education an enforceable right under Article 21-A. Finally came the Right to Education (RTE) in 2009. 
• EXAM QUESTIONS: (1) Explain the various legal and constitutional provisions available that ensure proper access to education to all children in India (2) What are the top goals of the massive NAS conducted by India's ministry of education.

Read more on - Polity | Economy | Schemes | S&T | Environment

#NAS #MinistryofEducation #schooleducation

Join UPSC Self Prep course | Online Course (PT Gurukul)  | Covid Special Course | Join PT courses

* Content sourced from free internet sources (publications, PIB site, international sites, etc.). Take your own subscriptions. Copyrights acknowledged.