Morung Express News
Dimapur | November 3
Nagaland has improved a grade 2020-21 but was ranked 4th from the bottom out of 37 States and Union Territories (UTs) in the latest Performance Grading Index (PGI) for 2020-21.
The PGI 2020-21, devised provide insights and data driven mechanism on the performance and achievements of on the success of school education across all States/UTs, was released by the Department of School Education and Literacy, Union Ministry of Education on November 3.
As the latest Index, with an overall score of 728, Nagaland was slotted in Grade III, along with Manipur, Uttarakhand and Meghalaya.
Arunachal Pradesh (Grade IV) was ranked lowest with 669, followed by Meghalaya (716) and Uttarakhand (704).
Overall, Kerala, Maharashtra and Punjab took the top three slot with 928 points each, followed by Chandigarh (927) and Gujarat (903).
As per the PGI portal, since 2018-19, Nagaland has improved its ranking from Grade V to Grade 3.
The PGI structure comprises of 1000 points across 70 indicators grouped into 2 categories Outcome and Governance Management (GM).
These categories are further divided into 5 domains - Learning Outcomes (LO), Access (A), Infrastructure& Facilities (IF), Equity (E) and Governance Process (GP).
Accordingly, the State are classified the States/UTs into ten grades and the highest achievable Grade is Level 1, which is for State/UT scoring more than 950 points. The lowest grade is Level 10 for those scoring below 551.
As per an MoE release, a total of 7 States and UTs - Kerala, Punjab, Chandigarh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Andhra Pradesh have attained Level II (score 901-950) in 2020-21 as compared to none in 2017-18 and 4 in 2019-20.
The ultimate aim of PGI, described as a unique index for evidence based comprehensive analysis of school education system across India, is to propel States & UTs towards undertaking multi-pronged interventions that will bring about the much-desired optimal education outcomes covering all dimensions, the release said.
Nagaland’s poor sides
Meanwhile, as per the details given on the PGI portal, out of the total 728, the domain-wise score of Nagaland were Learning Outcomes & Quality (126/180); Access (55/80); Infrastructure & Facilities (117/150); Equity (210/230); and Governance Processes (220/360)
In Learning Outcomes, the average score of Nagaland Government and aided schools in languages and mathematics in Class 5 were poor, while in Class 8, the subjects were language, mathematics and science.
In Access Domain, poor retention at primary level and secondary level as well as low transition rate from primary to upper-primary level and out-of-school mainstreamed, dragged down the overall score.
Low scores in indicators such as integrated science lab and computer lab in government secondary schools; book banks/ reading rooms/ libraries; and vocational education subject in Classes 9 & 10 (GHS/HS) pulled down the scores of ‘Infrastructure & Facilities.’
In the category of Equity, Nagaland suffered worst with just 4 out of 10 points for schools having ramp for Children with Special Needs (CWSN) and mere 1 out of 10 for schools having functional CWSN friendly toilets.
In Governance & Management, Nagaland had ‘0’ score out of 20 points each for % of government head-teachers/principals who have completed Schools Leadership (SL) training in the current financial year; number of new teachers recruited through a transparent online recruitment system as a % of total number of new teachers recruited during Current Year; and Number of head-teachers/ principals recruited through a merit-based selection system as a % of total number of head-teachers/ principals recruited during current year.
In addition, it scored nil out of 10 points in % of average daily attendance of students captured digitally; % of average daily attendance of teachers recorded in an electronic attendance system; and funds (including value of goods and services in kind arranged through PPP, CSR etc. as a percentage of State/ UT budget on education during current year).
