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Punjab clinches top spot in National Achievement Survey
Ludhiana: Punjab has emerged as the top performer among states in the National Achievement Survey (NAS) 2021 report released by the education ministry on Wednesday
Ludhiana: Punjab has emerged as the top performer among states in the National Achievement Survey (NAS) 2021 report released by the education ministry on Wednesday.
NAS is a national-level assessment survey conducted to obtain information about the learning achievement of students. It is useful for chalking out new educational policies.
A total of 34,1,158 students from 1,18,274 government, government aided, central government and recognised private schools across the country participated in the NAS-2021 examination held on November 12 last year. Besides, 5,26, 824 teachers across the nation also took the exam.
Punjab got the highest mean score for subjects across classes 3, 5, 8 and 10. Mean scores are average of the total marks that all students got in the particular subject.
A total of 1,17,601 students and 16,972 teachers from 3,656 schools in Punjab participated in the NAS. While the average performance of class 3 students in language across the country was rated at 323 mean score out of total 500, Punjab students scored 355. In mathematics, Punjab class 3 students got the highest 339 average performance score while the average national performance of students in the subject was 306.
In environmental studies, class 3 students of Punjab got 334 mean score against the national average of 307 points.
Similarly, class 5 students of Punjab schools scored a maximum average achievement score of 339 in language, 316 in mathematics and 310 in EVS as compared to national average score of 309, 284 and 284 in the respective subjects.
In class 8, Punjab bagged the highest 338 average achievement score in language as compared to the national average score of 302. In maths, the state bagged 297 points against 255 national average score, in science Punjab scored 287 mean score as compared to 250 national average score. In social science, Punjab got 288 average score as compared to 255 national points.
In class 10, Punjab students scored 288 points as compared to 260 national average points in modern Indian language. In Maths, Punjab scored 273 points as compared to 220 national average points and in science, the state bagged 254 score while the national average being 206. In social science, Punjab got 270 average points as compared to 231 national average score. In English, too, Punjab scored 330 points as compared to the national 277 average score.
The average achievement score of girls is significantly above that of the average score of boys in Punjab.
According to findings of the NAS, 54% Punjab students experienced anxiety and fear during Covid pandemic, 42% don’t have access to digital device at home and 8% teachers complained of inadequate toilet and drinking water facility in schools. According to teachers, 88% Punjab schools have adequate audio-visual resources, 90% have adequate libraries and 99% schools participate in sports activities.
Former Punjab education secretary, schools, Krishan Kumar, under whose supervision the preparations for the NAS were done in the state, congratulated the department for untiring efforts to bag the top spot in the country.
Ludhiana district education officer Jaswinder Kaur said: “It is a matter of pride for the state education department. The teachers’ fraternity along with the senior officials who backed us with adequate resources and the students deserve to celebrate the moment. We have once again proved that we have the best education system in the country”, Kaur said.
