Tamil Nadu to Initiate Education Assessment Survey Amid Criticism from State Governor
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Synopsis
Chennai, Feb 15 (NationPress) The Tamil Nadu School Education Department is preparing to roll out an education assessment survey to assess the quality of education in the state. This initiative follows criticism from Governor R. N. Ravi regarding the education standards.
Key Takeaways
- Tamil Nadu plans an education assessment survey.
- Governor R. N. Ravi criticized state educational standards.
- Survey to involve ten lakh students.
- Concerns raised over ASER survey credibility.
- Impact of non-release of Samagra Shiksha funds highlighted.
Chennai, Feb 15 (NationPress) The Tamil Nadu School Education Department is preparing to implement an education assessment survey aimed at gauging the quality of education across the state.
This action comes after remarks from Governor R. N. Ravi and Tamil Nadu BJP President K. Annamalai, who asserted that the state is trailing behind Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, referencing statistics from the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER).
During a recent gathering, Governor Ravi criticized the state's educational framework, claiming that 75 percent of high school students in government schools struggle with recognizing two-digit numbers and 40 percent are unable to read a Class II textbook.
He further contended that students are being advanced without adequate academic assessment, which he believes poses a significant risk to both the state and the nation.
The Governor also pointed to the insufficient teaching as the reason behind the poor learning outcomes of 60 percent of students.
In reaction, Tamil Nadu's School Education Minister, Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, declared that the assessment survey will involve ten lakh students.
He also challenged the reliability of the ASER survey, which is conducted by the Pratham Foundation in collaboration with District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs).
He emphasized that ASER is a household survey that does not evaluate students within school settings and is managed by 25 lesser-known organizations in the state.
Meanwhile, representatives from the Pratham Foundation in Tamil Nadu clarified their collaboration with DIETs to survey 12 districts in 2018. They also mentioned intentions to recruit B.Ed students as volunteers for future surveys, ensuring they receive training beforehand to verify the accuracy of the results.
The minister also pointed out the adverse effects stemming from the non-release of funds under the Samagra Shiksha (SS) scheme, which he stated has impacted 40 lakh students in Tamil Nadu.
He noted that although the scheme has been operational since 2018, the Union government recently linked it with the PM-SHRI initiative, creating disruptions.
A committee formed by the state's School Education Department to assess the PM-SHRI scheme found that it introduces a three-language policy, which conflicts with Tamil Nadu's current language policies. The state government has expressed concerns over this development, affirming its commitment to safeguarding the state's educational framework and linguistic policies.
