SSLC students don’t know antonyms, says report

The state government’s efforts to overhaul the current system of education with multiple experiments over the years seem to have backfired.

Despite spending crores of rupees and adopting changes to the curriculum, several students of Class 10 have no knowledge on antonyms in English. This startling finding, along with details on other disabilities of students, have been highlighted in the annual report submitted
by the Karnataka School Quality Assessment and Accreditation Council (KSQAAC),
an agency of Education department.

The inabilities of the students do not just stop at this. Nearly half of the students studying in Class 7 are unable to write various sources of food. Shockingly, students in Class 4 failed to identify wild animals properly. These deficiencies have been found in the students of various government and aided schools across Karnataka. The KSQAAC had conducted ‘Census-based State Achievement Survey’ (CSAS) by holding exams in selected schools across the state in October-November 2018.

Sources in the Education department revealed that 30 questions were framed for every subject - including languages and core subjects such as mathematics, environmental science and social science taught in Class 4 to Class 10. The students were asked to pick right answers for the multiple-choice questions (MCQs).

The Council, by aggregating the answers of 60% students across the state has prepared a report on what is ailing the students in understanding the syllabus. It has also suggested supplementary teaching as the solution.

The findings of the survey in the form of a report have already been sent to the deputy directors of public instruction of various districts in February 2019 with a direction to adopt corrective measures starting this academic year. This apart, the district-wise performance reports have also been sent to the respective district heads for further action, according to the sources.