The FLS study sample included state government schools, government-aided schools, private recognised and central government schools. Nearly four months after Punjab’s schools fared better than Delhi in the National Achievement Survey (NAS), a similar result has been seen in the Foundation Learning Study (FLS) 2022 report released Tuesday.
The study, released by the Union Ministry of Education and the National Council of Educational and Research Training (NCERT), was conducted to study the basic numerical and language learning skills of class 3 students with a sample size of 86,000 children in 10,000 schools across the country. In Punjab, 3,233 children were tested in Maths, and three languages- English, Hindi and Punjabi across 320 schools.
The results show that in three common subjects – Maths, English and Hindi – Delhi has a higher percentage of students lacking the basic knowledge and skills compared to Punjab.
The study findings were based on one-on-one interviews with each participant. Depending on their performance, students were categorised into four groups: Below Partially Meets Global Minimum Proficiency (those who lacked the most basic knowledge and skills); Partially Meets (those who had limited knowledge and skills); Meets Global Minimum Proficiency (those who had developed sufficient knowledge and skills), and Exceeds Global Minimum Proficiency (those who had developed superior knowledge and skills).
In English, 47 per cent of the participants from Punjab were placed in the highest category; Delhi had 42 per cent. Only 4 per cent from Punjab were found to lack basic skills in English compared to 17 per cent from Delhi.
In languages, children were tested for Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) and Reading Comprehension. A similar result was seen in Hindi; 26 per cent of participants from Delhi were found to lack basic skills compared to 16 per cent from Punjab. Almost 47 per cent of children from Punjab had superior skills in the language compared to 30 per cent from Delhi. In the basic numeracy (Mathematics) test, 12 per cent of children from Delhi lack basic skills compared to 10 per cent from Punjab. While 45 per cent of children from Punjab had sufficient skills in basic Maths, the number stood at 41 per cent for Delhi.
FLS is a school-based performance assessment. Several foundational literacy skills including oral language comprehension, phonological awareness, decoding, reading comprehension, and oral reading fluency with comprehension were assessed. For foundational numeracy, number identification & comparison, number operations, multiplication and division facts, measurement, fractions, patterns, and data handling are included.
In English, 47 per cent of the participants from Punjab were placed in the highest category; Delhi had 42 per cent. Only 4 per cent from Punjab were found to lack basic skills in English compared to 17 per cent from Delhi. The FLS study sample included state government schools, government-aided schools, private recognised and central government schools.
The Ministry of Education had launched the National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy (NIPUN) Bharat in July 2021 to enable all children at the end of Grade 3 to attain foundational skills by the year 2026-2027. The data derived from the FLS Study would help in establishing a baseline for the NIPUN Bharat mission, said the ministry.
Delhi vs Punjab debate
Although Punjab performed better than Delhi in national surveys such as NAS and Performance Grading Index (PGI), AAP leaders including CM Bhagwant Mann have been claiming that the ‘ground reality’ in the state’s government schools was in contrast to survey results.
The Mann-led AAP government in Punjab has been pushing for the implementation of the ‘Delhi model of education’ in the state, which the opposition Congress and SAD have termed as a ‘failed model’. In the run-up to Punjab elections this year, education had emerged as one of the core issues of debate between the AAP and Congress.
Opposition leaders including SAD’s Dr Daljeet Singh Cheema and former CM Captain Amarinder Singh had asked Mann to apologise to the state’s students and teachers for ‘defaming them’ and congratulate them for topping NAS in May this year.
“How can a failed Delhi model replace what is already successful,” former CM Captain Amarinder Singh had said after Punjab had topped NAS. He said that AAP was trying to propagate a ‘fake’ model at the cost of the hardwork and effort of Punjab students and teachers.
A senior AAP leader on condition of anonymity, Wednesday said: “We don’t know how these surveys are conducted. Go to any government school in Punjab and even now kids cannot read basic English and Punjabi. They lack confidence. AAP will fix it..”