State officials dispute NCERT findings
The draft report of the study conducted among class V students says that Gujarat is among the four states where overall student aptitude has fallen. But officials here argue that the data collected in more comprehensive surveys by state agencies and NGOs paint conditions in Gujarat to be much better
Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Thursday, February 09, 2012 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/2012020920120209015017900a833e819/State-officials-dispute-NCERT-findings.html)
Educationists and officials in state have reacted with dismay to the NCERT survey that shows learning achievement of class V students of Gujarat to be much lower than their counterparts in states like Uttar Pradesh and Odisha.
While they wait for the final report, they point out that the data collected during more comprehensive surveys by state agencies and some NGOs paint conditions in Gujarat much better than those depicted by NCERT survey.
“Conditions in Gujarat are certainty better than those in some of the states which according to NCERT have fared better. I have figures to back my claim. While I can’t term the circumstances very good, they definitely are good,” said Prof R S Patel, director of Gujarat University’s School of Psychology, Philosophy and Education.
Primary Education Commissioner Manoj Agrawal said he could not elaborate on the NCERT findings as they were still in draft stage. “However, I can tell you our surveys are much more comprehensive and our results are encouraging. We have been conducting surveys during gunotsav (inspection of schools) for the last three years and no school is left out whereas NCERT’s is a sample survey,” Agrawal said.
“TEACHERS’ TRAINING VIGOROUS IN STATE’
Prof Patel referred to the intensive training imparted to teachers in Gujarat that has been helping improve the standard of primary education in the state.
“Gujarat trains its teachers more vigorously and regularly than most of the other states. In fact, the Union Ministry of Human Resources Development has recommended Gujarat model of teachers’ training to other states,” he said.
The states which have been shown better off are able to train their teachers once in three years whereas in Gujarat teachers undergo 20-day training twice every year, Prof Patel pointed out.
“Of course, there are loopholes and the state can do better. But the change won’t come overnight. It is a gradual process,” he added.
Agrawal said the department was open to making changes in the system to improve the quality of education at primary level. “We have been recommending and conducting remedial classes and teachers’ training where we find they are needed,” he said.
Pointing to changes like revised curricula, semester system and continuous and comprehensive evaluation, Agrawal claimed the quality of primary education in the state is improving gradually.
STUDENTS USE CALCULATORS AND READ NEWSPAPERS
A GCERT official, who shared data with Mirror but preferred not to be named, said that it was premature to arrive at any conclusion based on draft report of a survey of 2010.
“However, draft data show that Gujarat was placed seventh in language, eighth in mathematics and environment. There has been an improvement of 1.01 per cent in language and 0.24 per cent in environment. Yet, let us wait for the final report,” he claimed.
Quoting the NCERT figures, he said 37 per cent children in class V in the state could use calculator and 24 per cent children could read and understand newspapers.
NCERT SURVEY
The survey of learning achievement of class V students by NCERT shows that mean achievement of children of Uttar Pradesh in language and mathematics is highest in the country while overall student aptitude has fallen in four states, Gujarat, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Tripura.
In environmental studies, UP students are a close second after Tamil Nadu (72.3 per cent), with a mean score of 67.15 per cent. In all respects - performance of girls, rural children and percentage of children getting more than 80 per cent - UP topped all states.
More than one lakh students in 31 states were covered during the survey between March and May, 2010. It tested them in language, mathematics and environmental studies. The HRD ministry has decided to make the survey a regular affair.
Gujarat’s fall in standards came as a surprise as the state is considered economically and educationally advanced. The biggest fall in performance was recorded in environment sciences of 3.18% followed by mathematics (-2.44%) and languages (-0.75%).
Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Thursday, February 09, 2012 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/2012020920120209015017900a833e819/State-officials-dispute-NCERT-findings.html)
Educationists and officials in state have reacted with dismay to the NCERT survey that shows learning achievement of class V students of Gujarat to be much lower than their counterparts in states like Uttar Pradesh and Odisha.
While they wait for the final report, they point out that the data collected during more comprehensive surveys by state agencies and some NGOs paint conditions in Gujarat much better than those depicted by NCERT survey.
“Conditions in Gujarat are certainty better than those in some of the states which according to NCERT have fared better. I have figures to back my claim. While I can’t term the circumstances very good, they definitely are good,” said Prof R S Patel, director of Gujarat University’s School of Psychology, Philosophy and Education.
Primary Education Commissioner Manoj Agrawal said he could not elaborate on the NCERT findings as they were still in draft stage. “However, I can tell you our surveys are much more comprehensive and our results are encouraging. We have been conducting surveys during gunotsav (inspection of schools) for the last three years and no school is left out whereas NCERT’s is a sample survey,” Agrawal said.
“TEACHERS’ TRAINING VIGOROUS IN STATE’
Prof Patel referred to the intensive training imparted to teachers in Gujarat that has been helping improve the standard of primary education in the state.
“Gujarat trains its teachers more vigorously and regularly than most of the other states. In fact, the Union Ministry of Human Resources Development has recommended Gujarat model of teachers’ training to other states,” he said.
The states which have been shown better off are able to train their teachers once in three years whereas in Gujarat teachers undergo 20-day training twice every year, Prof Patel pointed out.
“Of course, there are loopholes and the state can do better. But the change won’t come overnight. It is a gradual process,” he added.
Agrawal said the department was open to making changes in the system to improve the quality of education at primary level. “We have been recommending and conducting remedial classes and teachers’ training where we find they are needed,” he said.
Pointing to changes like revised curricula, semester system and continuous and comprehensive evaluation, Agrawal claimed the quality of primary education in the state is improving gradually.
STUDENTS USE CALCULATORS AND READ NEWSPAPERS
A GCERT official, who shared data with Mirror but preferred not to be named, said that it was premature to arrive at any conclusion based on draft report of a survey of 2010.
“However, draft data show that Gujarat was placed seventh in language, eighth in mathematics and environment. There has been an improvement of 1.01 per cent in language and 0.24 per cent in environment. Yet, let us wait for the final report,” he claimed.
Quoting the NCERT figures, he said 37 per cent children in class V in the state could use calculator and 24 per cent children could read and understand newspapers.
NCERT SURVEY
The survey of learning achievement of class V students by NCERT shows that mean achievement of children of Uttar Pradesh in language and mathematics is highest in the country while overall student aptitude has fallen in four states, Gujarat, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Tripura.
In environmental studies, UP students are a close second after Tamil Nadu (72.3 per cent), with a mean score of 67.15 per cent. In all respects - performance of girls, rural children and percentage of children getting more than 80 per cent - UP topped all states.
More than one lakh students in 31 states were covered during the survey between March and May, 2010. It tested them in language, mathematics and environmental studies. The HRD ministry has decided to make the survey a regular affair.
Gujarat’s fall in standards came as a surprise as the state is considered economically and educationally advanced. The biggest fall in performance was recorded in environment sciences of 3.18% followed by mathematics (-2.44%) and languages (-0.75%).
