Andhra Pradesh students lack in English and Science

Visakhapatnam: Class X students of Andhra Pradesh registered an unprecedented pass percentage (94.5) and 10 per cent grade point average (6,444) this year. But despite the ever increasing pass percentage and ‘A’ graders, they are performing significantly below the national average in several subjects like English, science and others.

The only saving grace is mathematics and social science subjects where the state is on par to outperforming the national average. The range between the 90th and 10th percentile showed a wider spread, indicating a large variation betw-een high and low achieving students, than many other states.

These are some of the findings thrown up by the recent National Achievement Survey, carried out by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) for Class X students.

The survey indicated a need for significant improvement in learning levels and linked the low achievement level to lack of conceptual clarity and understanding.
While the national mean achievement score for English is 250, the average achievement score of students from Andhra Pradesh is significantly below, at 238. Same was the case in science and modern Indian language with scores of 239 and 231 respectively. The distribution of scores has been highly uneven across communities, schools and areas.

Dr. T. Sharon Raju from the Institute of Advanced Studies in Education, Andhra University, attributed this phenomenon to lack of comprehensive learning in the formative years. “We cannot build an edifice without a strong foundation. Most schools focus on Class X results, while neglecting junior classes. Even though Rs 1 lakh crore was allocated to education in the Budget, extending training to the teachers to make them more competent has never been a priority of the government. In order to ensure that each student reaches his or her highest potential, application and demonstration-based learning is the need of the hour,” he said.

State Commission for Protection of Child Rights in-charge chairperson S. Balaraju said that results-based approach has been ruining our education system. “There is a need to determine what is working and what needs improvement in the education system,” Mr  Balaraju said.