NEWS – The 2024 Rashtriya PARAKH Sarvekshan (formerly NAS) shows Class 3 students’ learning outcomes remain below pre-Covid (2017) levels, despite slight improvement from 2021.

ABOUT

• PARAKH (Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development) assessed 21.15 lakh students in Classes 3, 6, and 9 across 74,229 schools in December 2024.
• Objective: To comprehensively evaluate the progress of learners across different stages (Foundational, Preparatory, and Middle) in India’s school education system.
• Alignment with NEP 2020: The survey is specifically designed to align with the objectives outlined in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
• Competency-Based Education: The survey focuses on assessing student performance in a competency-based education framework.
• Large-Scale National Survey: The survey aims to provide critical insights into the progress of learners and the effectiveness of the education system.
• Building on Previous Surveys: The survey builds on the foundation laid by nationwide achievement surveys conducted by NCERT since 2001.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Class 3 average language score:
  • 2024: 64%
  • 2021: 62%
  • 2017: 66.7%
• Maths scores:
  • 2024: 60%
  • 2021: 57%
  • 2017: 63%
• Language weakest area: Reading short stories (60%)
  Strongest: Daily communication vocabulary (67%)
• Maths weakest areas: Geometry, money transactions (50%)
  Strongest: Identifying patterns and numbers (69%)
• Classes 6 & 9: Average scores below 50% in all subjects, except language.
• Significance: Class 3 marks end of Foundational Stage under NEP 2020; learning gaps at this stage threaten long-term human capital and demographic dividend.
• Objective of PARAKH: Promote accountability, outcome-based education, and guide policy interventions.
• Foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) critical for lifelong learning and socio-economic mobility