Earlier this year, Punjab had fared better in National Achievement Survey (NAS) and Foundation Learning Study (FLS) -- both released by the Centre.(Representational/File)Repeating its last year’s feat, Punjab was again placed among top seven states that have scored Grade Level-2 (L2), as per the Performance Grading Index (PGI) report 2020-21, a unique index for evidence-based comprehensive analysis of the school education system. No state has been able to attain the highest level of L1 so far.
The six states that have received L2 are Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat. Chandigarh is the only Union territory to have archived L2 level.
The PGI structure comprises of 1,000 points across 70 parameters grouped into five broad categories (Learning Outcomes, Access, Infrastructure & Facilities, Equity, and Governance Process).
The grading system has 10 levels, with the highest achievable grade being Level 1 for a score between 950 to 1,000 points. L2 indicates a score between 901 and 950.
As per the report released by Union ministry of education, Punjab has scored 928 points. Last year (2019-20), Punjab was among top five states that reached L2. Then too, none of the states or UTs could score L1.
The report comes at a time when the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is going all out to implement ‘Delhi model of education’ in Punjab. As per the report, the schools of Punjab have yet again performed better than Delhi, which has been placed at L3 with 899 points. In 2019-20, while Punjab had scored 929 points, Delhi had scored 898.
Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2020-21 Earlier this year, Punjab had fared better in National Achievement Survey (NAS) and Foundation Learning Study (FLS) — both released by the Centre.
With Punjab performing better than Delhi in PGI ranking last year, a political storm had erupted in the agrarian state ahead of the Assembly elections.
Then Congress government in state led by Captain Amarinder Singh (now in BJP) had taken the credit for Punjab’s performance. Delhi education minister Manish Sisodia, however, had alleged that Punjab’s top rank in PGI was a result of “secret friendship between Captain and Prime Minister Narendra Modi”. Amarinder had hit back terming the accusations “atrocious”.
Marginal improvement in Haryana’s score
Haryana has registered minor improvement in the PGI 2020-21.
As per the report released on Thursday, Haryana has been kept in grade-L3 along Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and a few other states. In the report for 2020-21, Haryana has scored 865 in comparison to its score of 862 previous year. According to the education ministry, PGI scores and grades achieved by states/UTs bear testimony to the efficacy of the education system. A total of seven states and UTs– Kerala, Punjab, Chandigarh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Andhra Pradesh– have attained Level II (score 901-950) in 2020-21