Quality of schools continues to be a matter of concern in Karnataka, as more than 60 per cent of them have obtained a low ‘C+’ or less in quality and learning assessment in a sample survey conducted by Karnataka School Quality Assessment and Accreditation Council (KSQAAC).
The third edition of the annual survey, however, indicates that the quality of schools as improved over the last academic year as the number of schools with grades below ‘C+’ has dipped by 15.2 percentage points compared to last year.
For the first time, the KSQAAC survey has 38 schools (all from Chikkodi) that have obtained the highest ‘A+’ grading. The survey assessed 2,161 private, aided and government schools across the State for 2014–15 academic year.
Grades have been allotted to schools based on five parameters — physical environment and facilities, learning environment, leadership, community participation, and innovative activities, as well as student learning achievement.
The survey shows that 61.63 per cent of the schools have secured ‘C+’ (which is less than 50 per cent of the total score) or a grade less than that, with a majority of the schools (697) falling in the ‘C+’ category. None of the 130 schools in Bengaluru Urban and Rural districts secured an ‘A+’ or ‘A’ grade.
Another key pointer of the survey is the learning achievement of students which stands at 51.78 per cent, based on a sample of 2.63 lakh children studying in class three to class nine. Interestingly, the survey points out that the learning achievement that stands at 54.94 per cent at class three dips till class six. It increases at class seven to 58.98 per cent, but after which it dips again at the high school level.
The overall learning achievement level has seen an increase by 9.07 percentage points since last year. However, experts argue this increase is not reflected in classrooms and could be just an indication of different testing methods.
The Department of Primary and Secondary Education has now decided to evaluate the evaluator. To ensure objectivity, the department will subject Karnataka School Quality Assessment and Accreditation Council (KSQAAC), the body that conducts the assessment, to an evaluation.
Ajay Seth, Principal Secretary of the department, said the decision was taken at a meeting last week. “The council is unique in the country but there is a need for more deliberations on how the samples are chosen, how objective the survey is and if there is a bias in identifying the sampling techniques,” he said.
Department officials said that this year, they would assess intervention and evaluate four types of schools. Schools where NGOs are working, schools with 100 per cent pass percentage in the class 10 results, schools where teachers have won awards and schools where computer education and technology is used.
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Highlights of the report of the Karnataka School Quality Assessment and Accreditation Council for 2014–15 academic year
Grade | Number of schools | Percentage |
A+ (90 % to 100 %) | 38 | 1.76 |
A (80 % – 89.9 %) | 93 | 4.30 |
B+ (70 % – 79.9 %) | 213 | 9.86 |
B (60 % to 69.9 %) | 485 | 22.44 |
C+ (50 % – 59.9 %) | 697 | 32.25 |
C (40 % – 49.9 %) | 498 | 23.04 |
D (Less than 50 %) | 137 | 6.34 |
Total | 2,161 | 100 |
* 2,161 schools which include 1,220 government, 917 aided and 24 private schools were part of the assessment this year.
* In a first, schools in the State have obtained A+ grade. As many as 38 schools — all from Chikkodi — have been graded A+.
* None of the 113 schools in Bengaluru Urban and Rural districts has obtained A+
* Maximum A+ grades have been secured by aided schools (38), while maximum D grades have been secured by government schools (102)
* While the survey picks a random sample of government schools, aided and unaided schools participation is low as schools are expected to pay Rs. 12,000 for the assessment.
* To encourage schools to be graded, the Department of Public Instruction has said that participation of schools in the survey would help in availing benefits from the department.
