National Assessment Survey 2021: Dip in performance of Class III, V students in Chandigarh

Naina Mishra

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Chandigarh, May 27

National Assessment Survey (NAS) of 2021 has shown that the performance of children of Class III and V has fallen in the city in comparison to 2017 when the last round of assessment survey was carried out. A lack of digital access and the pandemic is to blame for the poor performance of the students.

Reema Dewan, City CBSE Coordinator and Principal of DPS-49, said, “The survey was held during the pandemic phase when students weren’t attending schools as stable physical classes weren’t taking place. The classes were being held in the online mode and a slight impact has reflected in the scores of NAS in primary school students. There have been factors wherein primary children could not access digital devices and this may have contributed to a slight dip in the performance.”

On the contrary, Class X has shown some improvement compared to 2017. However, a stark comparison from the national average shows that the city students are ahead. “Learning outcomes have been taken care of by inculcating creative and critical thinking of curriculum of students from class VII to X. This was a part of PISA training and this has really helped improve the scores,” added Dewan

Basic-level performance

The survey shows that some children cannot even apply basic principles of mathematics and science in daily life.

A maximum of 31 per cent students in Class III have basic-level performance in language, and again a maximum of 36 per cent students possess basic knowledge in mathematics, followed by 31 per cent who have a good knowledge of mathematics.

In Class V, most students (48 per cent) have basic-level performance in mathematics and 21 per cent also have below basic-level performance. More than half percentage of students in Class V have basic or below basic-level performance only.

In class VIII, only 32 per cent children could solve problems related to daily life situations involving rational numbers and only 31 per cent could calculate mean, median and mode of different sets of data using real life situations. In Class X, a maximum of 38 per cent students have shown below basic performance in science, which shows a lack of scientific temperament.

Mental health takes a hit

The survey has also showed mental health of students suffered during pandemic as many reported fear and anxiety in the survey. Around 98 per cent children in Class VIII experienced worry, anxiety and fear due to the pandemic. The fear was prevalent in 42 per cent students of Class X students and 32 per cent Class III students.

No digital access for learning

During the pandemic, many students did not have digital access that hampered their studies. The survey shows that 20 per cent students of Class X, 85 per cent of Class VIII, 30 per cent of Class V and 21 per cent in Class III remained without digital devices.