The Ministry of Education recently made public the findings of the National Achievement Survey (NAS) 2021. Held in November 2021, this large-scale survey attracted the participation of approximately 34 lakh students from 1.18 lakh schools across 720 districts in urban and rural India.
About the National Achievement Survey (NAS) 2021
The NAS 2021 is a countrywide survey conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) under the auspices of the Ministry of Education. Its main aim is to assess the health and performance outcomes of the education system. The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) is responsible for designing the assessment framework and tools for this survey, which provides a system-level reflection on the effectiveness of school education.
The survey gathers data regarding relevant background variables such as the school environment, teaching processes, and student home and background factors. It covers Government schools (both State and Central government), Government-aided schools, and Private schools all over India.
The Survey’s Medium and Grades
NAS 2021 was carried out in 22 mediums of instruction including English, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Hindi, Malayalam, Marathi, Manipuri, Mizo, Punjabi, Odia, Telugu, Tamil, Bodo, Urdu, Garo, Konkani, Khasi, Bhutia, Nepali, and Lepcha. The subjects varied according to different grades.
For Grade 3 and 5, the subjects were Language, Environmental Studies, and Mathematics. For Grade 8, the chosen subjects were Language, Science, Mathematics, and Social Science. For Grade 10, the subjects included Language, Science, Mathematics, Social Science, and English.
The Objective of NAS 2021
The prime objective of the survey is to evaluate children’s progress and learning competencies to gauge the efficiency of the education system, thereby informing necessary remedial actions at different levels.
Key Highlights from NAS 2021
The national average percentage of students recorded a decline in almost all subjects. The mathematics and language scores nationwide saw a drop from class third to class tenth. Similarly, for science, the national score declined from class eighth to class tenth.
The performance of schools in rural areas was considerably below that of urban schools. Students from Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC) categories performed less well than students from the general category. However, girls outperformed boys in almost all subjects across all classes, both nationally and at state level.
Many students found home-learning during the pandemic burdensome, and many struggled with a lack of digital devices at home.
State Performance in NAS 2021
The majority of states performed below the national score overall. However, some states including Kerala, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Punjab performed better than the national average, with Punjab scoring highest in all subjects for classes 3, 5 and 8. Delhi’s performance in classes eighth and tenth was better compared with the national average.
Status of Education in India
The Indian Constitution, specifically Part IV, Article 45 and Article 39 (f) of Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP), mandates state-funded education that is equitable and accessible. The Right To Education (RTE) Act, 2009, which is enforced under Article 21-A, further emphasizes education as a Fundamental Right.
There have been several government initiatives aimed at improving education standards such as the National Education Policy 2020, Samagra Shiksha (SS) 2.0, NIPUN Bharat Mission, PM Poshan Scheme and the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE).
Last Modified: February 15, 2024