National Achievement Survey 2021

• 15 Nov 2021

Why in News

Recently, the Union Government has conducted the National Achievement Survey (NAS) across India, assessing about 38 lakh students from 1.23 lakh schools in 733 districts in 36 States and Union Territories.

• The survey was last conducted in 2017 and was scheduled to take place in 2020. However, due to the Covid situation, it was postponed until this year (2021).

Key Points

• About:
  
  • It is a nationwide survey to assess the learning outcomes and health of the education system.
    
    • It is the largest, nationwide, sample-based education survey conducted across India.
  • It is undertaken by the Ministry of Education.
    
    • The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) conducted NAS 2021.
    • 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.
    
    • It collects information 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 2021 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.
• Significance:
  
  • 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 findings of NAS 2021 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 at resolving 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.

Education in India

• Constitutional Provisions:
  
  • Part IV of Indian Constitution, 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 42^nd Amendment to the Constitution in 1976 moved education from the State to the Concurrent List.
  • The 86^th Amendment in 2002 made education an enforceable right under Article 21-A.
• Related Laws:
  
  • Right To Education (RTE) Act, 2009 aims to provide primary education to all children aged 6 to 14 years and enforces education as a Fundamental Right.
    
    • It also mandates 25% reservation for disadvantaged sections of the society.
• Government Initiatives:
  
  • National Education Policy 2020.
  • Samagra Shiksha (SS) 2.0
  • NIPUN Bharat Mission
  • PM Poshan Scheme
  • Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE).
  • Performance Grading Index

Source: TH