Standardized tests have caught paramount significance throughout the globe to examine the proficiency of students in specific areas at primary and secondary education levels. The test is administered at a large scale population with standardized questions, instructions & physical environment. Program for International Student Assessment funded by the Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD) conducted a standardized test of maths, science and reading from students of grade 7 from 72 countries in 2015. The students of Singapore took first place in all three domains, producing the smartest children on the planet.
In line with global trends, Education & Literacy Department, Government of Sindh initiated Student Achievement Test (SAT) which was funded by World Bank and implemented by Sukkur IBA University for the six consecutive years from 2012 to 2018. Under the project, a standardized test; based on National Curriculum 2007 was designed for students of Class V & VIII in Language, Science &Maths subjects. The significance of this project was profound owing to half a billion costs and its reach over the entire target population. Every year, around 350,000 to 400,000 students appeared in the tests from 45,000 public sector schools. Sukkur IBA University, known for its merit and quality, did a tremendous job and left no stone unturned to ensure fairness in the entire activity. Let’s have a look at the results,
The results are depicted in percentage scores, for example, the first brown line in the graph shows the scores of language in Phase-I which stood at 32%, which means an average result of all students of class V was 32% accurate only while 68% was in-accurate. The results are equally disappointing in Maths and Science subjects where the average achievement score for six years is 20.42% and 19.4 % respectively. With such achievement scores, it seems quite obvious that our upcoming generation can hardly become good scientists, doctors, engineers, and other professionals to contribute to economic and social prosperity.
Class VIII results are no different in any way, let’s have a look at the below graph for class VIII
The results of language in class VIII are relatively better than class V, but still not sufficient. Moreover, the results of Math and Science in SAT-VI remained 15.85% & 21.92 % respectively. The achievement score in a language is relatively better, which is encouraging, however, when further probed, the average scores in writing for class V and VIII stood 14.65% & 30.90% respectively. This implies that our schools emphasize more on reading than on writing. The report also explains the content strand wise results of Language (Reading & Writing), Science ( Physical Science, Life Sciences and Earth & Space Sciences) and Maths (Numbers and Operations, Measurement, Information handling, Geometry & Algebra) The report can be accessed on http://satsindh.net.pk/Downloads/Reports
The results of students were shared with provincial, regional, district, tehsil & school level authorities so that all administrative levels should know the achievement score of students they work for. The result card for each student who appeared in the test was sent to school along with a copy for parents. All stakeholders were well informed about the results at all levels in the most simplified way.
Despite massive communication of the poor results with concerned government bodies right from the beginning, the students’ achievement in preceding years of the project did not improve, which implies that political and bureaucratic leadership demonstrated a reluctance to take any concrete measures.
The major causes behind the destructive results are; incomplete infrastructure, lack of the sufficient number of specialized teachers, absence of technology in teaching methodology, traditional rot-based learning, out-dated curriculum, zero accountability, and criminal negligence of political & bureaucratic leadership.
Nevertheless, some schools have efficient management with responsible teachers, who follow the book to the last lesson, persuade parents to send children to school and also give extra time to their students to overcome difficulties, consequently, spreading some light in the darkness.
What kind of nation would rise with low knowledge of basic maths and science? If the Government intended to do nothing, then why did it spend millions of rupees every year to conduct such extensive exercise?
It’s high time for the ruling party of Sindh to look into this most neglected area of human development. The education department, parents, and NGOs should bend together to Play their part honestly to save future generations. It’s a long road, it’s not smooth, but we have to take right decisions, otherwise, historians would write clear and loud, that the province failed to educate their children despite having plentiful financial and intellectual resources.
The writer is a PhD scholar in Business Administration in Dongbei University of Finance & Economics, China & has formerly worked as Team Lead-Administration & Coordination in Sukkur IBA University under Student Achievement Test Project (SAT)