Thursday, October 17, 2024

PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024: Evaluating Competencies and Strengthening School Education





India is set to undertake a crucial initiative in 2024 with the launch of PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan—a competency-based large-scale assessment aimed at evaluating the educational achievements of students across the country. This national-level survey will provide a comprehensive evaluation of the school education system, offering critical insights into how well students have mastered essential competencies at different stages of their academic journey.

The PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024 is a significant step forward in understanding the learning competencies at the end of Foundational, Preparatory and Middle and administered in Grades 3, 6, and 9. It aligns with the competencies as defined in the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2023 and the vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which emphasize competency-based education and the need for regular, data-driven feedback on enhancing the learning processes in schools.

What is PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024?

PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024 is a large scale assessment, the National Achievement Survey (NAS 2024) that will assess students in key grades across India. It will offer data on how many students have achieved specific competencies at each level of education, thereby guiding educators and policymakers in making informed decisions to improve learning outcomes.

By focusing on students in Grades 3, 6, and 9, the survey will evaluate their stage-specific Knowledge, competencies and skills. The insights gained from this large-scale assessment will help stakeholders better understand the effectiveness of teaching and learning in schools across the nation.

Why Grades 3, 6, and 9?

The PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024 focuses on Grades 3, 6, and 9, which represent critical milestones in a student’s academic journey:

  • Grade 3 marks the completion of the foundational stage, where students develop basic literacy and numeracy skills..

  • Grade 6 falls at the end of the preparatory stage, where students expand their learning across various subjects and build on the core competencies acquired earlier.

  • Grade 9 represents the end of the middle stage of schooling, where students deepen their understanding of core subjects and prepare for higher secondary education.

By assessing students at these points, PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024 will measure how well students have progressed through these stages and whether they have developed the competencies required to succeed in future learning.

Competency-Based Assessment: A Focus on Core Skills

At the heart of PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024 is its focus on competency-based  curriculum framework introduced through NCF-SE. 

This approach shifts away from traditional methods of testing that prioritize memorization of content. Instead, it evaluates students based on their ability to apply knowledge and skills in real-world contexts. By doing so, the survey seeks to assess whether students have truly mastered the competencies outlined in the NCF 2023. It ensures that the survey provides a deeper understanding of student learning and identifies gaps that need to be addressed to improve overall educational outcomes.

The survey will provide valuable data on the performance of students across different regions, highlighting strengths and identifying areas where additional support may be needed. This evidence-based feedback will help improve the quality of education by ensuring that students are not only gaining knowledge but also acquiring the competencies essential for success in the modern world.

Efficient Data Collection with Advanced Technology

To ensure accuracy and efficiency, PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024 will utilize Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) technology for data collection. This technology enables smooth and precise evaluation of responses, ensuring that results are collected and processed quickly across the nation.

The large-scale assessment will cover both the district and national levels, providing a granular view of the education system’s performance.

The Broader Impact: Shaping India’s School Education

While PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024 is an assessment of students' competencies, its impact extends far beyond evaluation. The insights from this survey will inform the development of education policies, help in improving the teaching-learning processes, and guide curriculum development at various levels.

The data will allow policymakers to:

  • Identify gaps in learning and address disparities between different regions.

  • Adapt curriculum and teaching methods to better align with the competencies students need to thrive.

  • Foster an inclusive and equitable education system that offers high-quality learning opportunities for all students, regardless of their location or background.

The survey’s focus on competency-based learning aligns with global standards of education, ensuring that India’s education system prepares students not only for academic success but also for the challenges of a rapidly changing world.

As India embarks on the journey of PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024, this competency-based large-scale assessment will provide critical feedback on the overall health of the school education system. It will offer a clear picture of how students are progressing through different stages of their education and highlight where more support is needed to achieve the goals set out by the NEP 2020.

The survey’s results will not only guide the future of school education by offering data-driven insights, PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024 will also help in creating a more robust, inclusive, and future-ready education system, one that ensures every student is equipped with the competencies they need to succeed.

Stay tuned for more updates as PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024 unfolds and takes us closer to achieving a higher standard of education for all learners across India.


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