The 2021 National Education Assessment (NEA) found that class three students in urban areas have better learning achievement than those in the rural areas. It was also found that students from higher family income performed better in English reading literacy and mathematical literacy. The Bhutan Council for School Examinations and Assessment (BCSEA) launched the 2021 National Education Assessment for grade three today.
Over 4500 students from 184 schools across the country were assessed in Dzongkha and English reading literacy, and mathematical literacy.
The assessment found that while higher family income students performed better in Maths and English, Dzongkha reading literacy performance was the same irrespective of family income.
The assessment also found that girls and boys performed equally.
Mani Dorji, the Principal Education Monitoring Officer with the BCSEA siad that 84% of students have achieved more than Level 2 in Dzongkha Reading Literacy, 90% of them have achieved more than Level 2 in English Reading literacy and more than 93% of students have achieved more than Level 2 in mathematical literacy. “That is good actually in terms of data when we look at the fact that the administration of NAE was conducted during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The assessment aims to help strengthen the existing education policies, strategies, and programmes for 21st century education.
Arjun Kumar Gurung, a Project Manager with the BCSEA says the data that they have can now help the Ministry of Education and other stakeholders in terms of planning for the 13th five-year plan. “Also, at the district and school level, the data will help the teachers to go for a better pedagogy and principals and Dzongkhag DEOs and also to the Dzongdags in Dzongkhag levels to come out where are the loopholes, where are the gaps, and how they can bridge this gap using this data.”
Meanwhile, the NEA will track the same cohort of grade three students assessed in 2021 at grades six and nine in a three-year cycle.
Kinzang Lhadon
Edited by Sherub Dorji
