PARAKH INITIATIVE
- Context
The NCERT has recently announced the establishment of PARAKH (Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development), India’s first national assessment regulator. Its purpose is to create assessment guidelines for all boards.
- What Is PARAKH INITIATIVE?
As a component of the National Education Policy (NEP)-2020, PARAKH was established with the aim of being a regulating organization that will offer guidance to school boards on modern assessment techniques and the most recent research while fostering partnerships among them. It will operate as a part of NCERT and will be responsible for conducting regular tests to assess learning outcomes, such as the National Achievement Survey (NAS) and State Achievement Surveys. It will concentrate on three major areas of evaluation, including large-scale assessments, school-based assessments, and examination reforms.
- Objective
The phrase “Uniform Norms & Guidelines” refers to the establishment of standards, guidelines, and norms for evaluating and assessing students in all recognized school boards in India. This initiative aims to improve the assessment patterns of school boards, aligning them with the skill requirements of the 21st century. By creating a consistent set of evaluation standards across state and central boards, the initiative aims to reduce disparities in scoring. Furthermore, the benchmark assessment framework will help eliminate the focus on memorization-based learning, as outlined in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
- Significance
- To address the issue of students from certain state boards facing disadvantages in college admissions compared to their CBSE counterparts, measures will be taken to eliminate this disparity.
- A set of technical standards will be established and implemented for the design, conduct, analysis, and reporting of tests in all levels of school education, as part of an innovative evaluation system.
PARAKH’s goal is to promote a comprehensive, inclusive, and participatory approach to education, taking into account field experiences, empirical research, stakeholder feedback, and best practices.
- This marks a progressive shift towards a more scientific approach to education, with a structure that accommodates the child’s abilities in terms of cognitive development, social awareness, and physical skills.
- All About The Initiative
The government’s PARAKH effort may soon begin in order to evaluate students professionally and in a future manner. On August 12, consultants from around the world were requested to submit bids for the establishment of NCERT’s new National Assessment Centre.
Under National Education Policy 2020, PARAKH (Performance evaluation, Review and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development) was declared as a body that sets standards for student evaluation. “PARAKH will be a leader in the field of learning assessment and the residence of assessment specialists with a thorough knowledge of education and how kids learn.
In a document seeking consultants from across the world to help the government, it is said that its team will be made up of eminent assessment professionals who have a thorough understanding of the education system in India and throughout the world.
According to the statement, PARAKH will eventually serve as the “national single-window source” for all assessment-related knowledge and information, with a mandate to promote learning assessment in all its forms on a national and, if appropriate, worldwide level.
The government has hired a consulting firm for the position in order to obtain technical expertise of worldwide standards for enhancing learning evaluations in the nation. The assignment is anticipated to begin on October 1 of this year, with a three-year implementation timeframe.
The consultant will support the national level PARAKH core team academically and technically, increase the ability of different stakeholders to conduct learning assessment studies at the national and sub-national levels, and support and strengthen the psychometric analysis and documentation process, including the creation of reports.
The Consulting Agency will assist the NCERT in setting up PARAKH’s institutional structure, overall staffing, and capacity building plans for the short- and long-term (three to ten years), as well as assist NCERT in hiring experts and other essential personnel.
According to the official document , the agency will also develop a comprehensive plan for an improved NAS 2024 (National Achievement Survey) national assessment exercise that maintains a link to NAS 2021 so that results can be compared and supported in design, administration, analysis, and reporting for NAS 2024.
The PARAKH team will receive assistance from the consultant to recognize the relevant programs for India. This will be done by introducing them to various international assessment programs such as PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment), TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study), and PIRLS (Progress in International Reading Literacy Study). The consultant will also train the PARAKH team to participate in global evaluations, which may involve pilot projects or activities like PISA for Schools.
With a focus on technology-based solutions and the use of results for remediation and learning recovery, the consultant will also support the PARAKH team in incorporating international evidence to strengthen assessment systems in India in order to meet Covid-19 and other pandemic situations necessitating remote assessment.
- Why Parakh?
This technical group will conduct the National Achievement Survey (NAS), direct the State Achievement Survey, and keep tabs on the nation’s progress towards learning objectives. For all approved educational boards in India, it would provide criteria, standards, and recommendations for student assessment and evaluation.
According to the document, PARAKH “will encourage and assist school boards to shift their assessment patterns towards meeting the skill requirements of the 21st century, promote collaboration between school boards, and ensure equivalence of academic standards among learners across all school boards.”
The foundational, preparatory, middle, and secondary levels of education would all be covered by the school-based exams.
Through the Strengthening Teaching-Learning and Results for States (STARS) Programme, the World Bank assists India’s Ministry of Education in improving learning assessment systems. In order to administer India’s participation in international assessments like PISA, TIMSS, and PIRLS and to monitor national assessments like the NAS, STARS will provide multi-year finance for the establishment of PARAKH.
