Only 2% schools get A grade

Only 2% of the 16,457 schools in the state have been deemed as ‘A’ grade schools by the Maharashtra state board in its compulsory gradation exercise for affiliated schools.

Only 2% of the 16,457 schools in the state have been deemed as ‘A’ grade schools by the Maharashtra state board in its compulsory gradation exercise for affiliated schools.

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The board awards grades from A to E to SSC schools every year based on data submitted by schools on their teaching practices, infrastructure and activities, among other things. Saturday was the deadline for schools to send in their self-evaluation forms.

Of the 16,457 schools that the state board has awarded grades to, 320 have been awarded ‘A’ grade based on good physical infrastructure, qualified teachers and a focus on overall development of students.

Last year, the evaluation was done for 23,747 secondary schools (till Class 10) and schools with junior colleges (till Class 12) and 3,117 were awarded ‘A’ grade. This year, the survey included only secondary schools. Schools having junior colleges have been surveyed separately and the results will be released in February.

“We cannot compare last year’s results with this year’s because we had many new parameters,” said Ujwala Patil, chairperson of the board. “We will make a special effort to focus on those schools that were graded D or E and to see that they improve.”

The board plans to design new teaching practices or materials based on these findings after surveying 2,13,079 teachers. The board will give out grades for 1,215 schools in the next two days. Around 1,300 schools are yet to send in their self-evaluation sheets. “If they don’t do so we will not give their students the hall tickets for the SSC exams,” said Patil.