In collaboration with states and Union Territories, PARAKH is working to assess over 11 million students across the country (representative image)
SEAS will provide a distinctive baseline assessment, marking a gradual shift from rote learning to competency-based education
The first State Education Achievement Survey will be conducted by national assessment regulator PARAKH on November 3 and will cover 11 million students across the country, according to officials.
The survey, aimed at identifying areas that require improvement in learning process, will be conducted across states and will target students up to block level. It will be a precursor to the Ministry of Education’s annual National Achievement Survey (NAS), which is conducted at the district level.
Officials privy to the development told PTI that this will be the first survey to be conducted by the Performance Assessment, Review and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development (PARAKH), an organization under the NCERT.
It is tasked with bringing the school boards in the states and Union Territories on a common platform.
SEAS (State Education Achievement Survey) 2023, scheduled for November 3, is designed to improve learning standards for students in grades 3, 6 and 9. This survey, which operates at block level, covers an extensive range of competencies, covering the fundamental, preparatory and intermediate phases of education.
According to officials, SEAS will be a distinctive baseline assessment that marks a gradual shift from rote learning to competency-based education.
The adoption of competency-based learning has the potential to promote the holistic development of students, they said, adding that these efforts are aimed at nurturing the well-rounded growth of future generations. This research will prove invaluable in achieving this ambition, officials said.
“At the heart of this commitment is the belief that every child deserves a good education. Our competency-based assessment system aims to assess not only what students know, but also how well they can apply that knowledge in real-world scenarios,” said PARAKH Head and CEO Indrani Bhaduri.
Bhaduri also heads the NAS cell at the NCERT, which conducts the crucial national-level large-scale assessment to obtain information about the learning performance of students of classes 3, 5, 8 and 10 studying in government, government-aided schools, unaided private schools. and central government schools.
The ETS, which conducts major tests such as TOEFL and GRE, was chosen by the National Council for Education Research and Training (NCERT) to set up the regulatory platform.
Sachin Jain, country manager of ETS India and South Asia, said: “Through the NCERT, we aim to strengthen the assessment process, ensure its robustness and increase the quality of large-scale examinations in the education sector.” “The shared goal is to provide accurate, fair and insightful assessments, empowering educators and policymakers to make informed decisions that will shape the future of education in India,” he added.
PARAKH, a reform outlined in the new National Education Policy (NEP), will set assessment guidelines for all boards to help eliminate disparity in the scores of students enrolled in different state boards.
In collaboration with states and Union Territories, PARAKH is working to assess over 11 million students across the country.
“This effort provides invaluable data and insights that can be leveraged to deliver precise interventions at the block level, effectively addressing specific challenges and promoting inclusive development. Ultimately, this effort paves the way for a better and more equitable future for students across the country,” the official said.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)
