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PISA 2022 Worldwide Rankings: Indian participation MIA

ernment introduced its own National Achievement Survey The average low achievement is an outcome of lack of con-
(NAS) conducted by NCERT (National Council for Educa- ceptual clarity and understanding of the subjects tested…
tional Research & Training), an autonomous subsidiary of The low average score of less than 50 percent of this nation-
the Union education ministry. In NAS 2015 over a period ally representative sample class X students also indicates
of five months, 277,416 class X students of 7,216 schools af- the need to review and reform syllabi and curriculums on
filiated with two pan-India and 31 state examination boards the basis of NAS 2015 results,” Prof. Sreekanth (no ini-
were administered “standardised and context-free objective tials), head of the education surveys department at NCERT
tests using uniform tools” in five subjects (English, maths, at that time, informed EducationWorld.
science, social science and the dominant state language) by With NAS 2015 confirming “the lack of conceptual clar-
the Delhi-based NCERT. ity” and deep understanding of subjects tested, the new-
The outcome of NAS 2015 inspired by PISA proved a ly-elected BJP-led NDA government, which had ordered
chastening experience. The average score of students in NAS 2015, prudently side-stepped PISA 2018. However
English, maths, science, and social science was less than 50 after the BJP was swept to power again in 2019, in a show
percent with students from CISCE (Council for the Indian of euphoric bravado, Union education minister Prakash
School Certificate Examinations) schools faring best (see Javadekar declared the government’s intent to participate
EW cover story June 2016 https://www.educationworld. in PISA 2021 (postponed to 2022 because of the global Co-
in/educationworld-archive/?_sfm_archive_year=2016). vid-19 pandemic). But prior to that, he ordered NAS 2021
“In the NAS survey of class X students, the average na- to ascertain the condition of Indian K-12 education again.
tional score of all the 2.70 lakh children was a disappointing Unsurprisingly, the results of NAS 2021 which also
less than 50 percent in all tested five subjects. The results tested children in classes III, V, VIII besides class X, were
of the survey also indicate that students of private, urban not any better. The learning levels of 3.4 million students
unaided CISCE and CBSE schools exhibit better learning from 118,274 schools across 720 districts in all 36 States/
achievements than private aided schools, and students of UTs were assessed. However this time round, measurement
private aided schools fared better than government schools. of student competencies by school exam boards — which

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