National Achievement Survey 2021

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Why in the News?

Recently, the Union Government has conducted the National Achievement Survey (NAS) across India, assessing about 38 lakh students from 1.23 lakh schools in 733 districts in 36 States and Union Territories.

• This survey will help in assessing the learning interruptions and new learnings during covid-19 pandemic. After assessment, it will help in taking remedial measures.

Key highlights:

• The survey will cover government, government-aided and private schools that will help to assess the learning interruptions and new learnings during the pandemic and help to take remedial measures.
• The ministry of education surveys with the help of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).
• The survey was last conducted in 2017 and was scheduled to take place in 2020. However, due to the Covid situation, it was postponed until this year (2021).

What is National Achievement Survey :

• National Achievement Survey was launched in 2001-02 and is a school-level survey, conducted by the ministry of education, which attempts to assess grade-level competencies of children.
•  Grade-level competencies of children are assessed through the testing instruments prepared by the NCERT for each class.
•  As per the official website, “NAS gives a system level reflection on the effectiveness of school education.
• It provides a system level reflection on the effectiveness of school education.

About NAS 2021:

• NAS 2021 is set to cover the entire spectrum of schools including Government Schools of Central Government as well as State Government, Government Aided Schools and Private schools across India.
• As per the official statement, “NAS 2021 will help in the systematic understanding of the consequences that prolonged closure of schools have had on students' learning in terms of their socio-emotional and cognitive development.”

NAS 2021 test:

• The questions in NAS 2021 will be focused on family background, involvement of parents, safety and facilities in school, learning during the pandemic, and facilities for children with special needs. 
• NAS 2021 will hold separate assessments for Classes 3,5,8 and 10. 
• Grade 3 and 5: Language, EVS, and Mathematics
• Grade 8: Language, Science, Mathematics, and Social Science
• Grade 10: Language, Science, Mathematics, Social Science, and English.
• The test will be conducted in 22 mediums of instruction covering Assamese, Bengali, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Mizo, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, Bodo, Garo, Khasi, Konkani, Nepali, Bhutia, and Lepcha

Additional Information:

Govt. Initiatives:

National Education Policy, 2020:

• The Union Cabinet had approved the new National Education Policy (NEP), 2020 with an aim to introduce several changes in the Indian education system - from the school to college level.
• The two earlier education policies were brought in 1968 and 1986.
• The Cabinet has also approved the renaming of the Ministry of Human Resource Development to the Ministry of Education.