More than half of Indian students in Classes 3 and 6 lack foundational numeracy skills, according to the Ministry of Education’s latest PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024 (formerly NAS). The national assessment highlights significant learning gaps, especially in Mathematics, across both government and private schools.

Only 55% of Class 3 students can correctly arrange numbers up to 99 in ascending or descending order, while just 58% can perform basic addition and subtraction. In Class 6, only 53% know multiplication tables up to 10 or can apply basic arithmetic to real-life situations. The weakest subject nationally for Class 6 was Mathematics, with an average score of 46%, compared to 57% in Language and 49% in the new subject, The World Around Us.

The survey assessed over 21 lakh students across 74,229 schools in 781 districts, spanning 36 states and UTs. Responses were also collected from more than 2.7 lakh teachers and school leaders.

A stark rural-urban divide was noted. While rural students in Class 3 outperformed urban peers in Mathematics and Language, urban students in Classes 6 and 9 scored higher across all subjects.

Performance trends showed central government schools lagging in Class 3 Mathematics, and state-run and aided schools underperforming in Class 6 Mathematics. In contrast, Class 9 students from central government schools excelled across all subjects, particularly in Language. Private schools followed in Science and Social Science but scored lower in Mathematics.

Girls outperformed boys slightly in Class 3 Language, scoring 65% versus 63%, while both genders scored equally in Maths (60%).

According to School Education Secretary Sanjay Kumar, the government is now planning a multi-level action strategy to address these learning gaps. Workshops will be held at national, state, and district levels to interpret data and prepare district-specific roadmaps.

The report underscores the importance of targeted interventions in curriculum delivery, teacher training, and student support to improve outcomes.

While national averages in 2024 slightly trail 2017 levels, several states—including Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh—showed marked improvement, reflecting the impact of post-pandemic recovery efforts.

PARAKH is responsible for developing unified assessment guidelines across school boards, aiming to reduce disparities in student performance across India.

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