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Learning level of urban students better than rural pupils'
LAHORE, Dec 17, 2007: Learning achievement level of urban students, studying in
government schools of Punjab, is better than the rural students, reveals
Provincial Report on Assessment of Students' Learning issued by the Punjab
Education Assessment System (PEAS) last week.
According to the report,
grade-IV students of both urban and rural areas of the province were assessed in
the subjects of Mathematics, Science, Social Studies and Urdu. The assessment
showed that learning achievement level of urban students was higher than
students of the rural areas. The report also revealed that learning achievement
level of female students was found better as compared to male students in all
the four subjects assessed. It also showed that learning achievement of
students, who find help at home either by family members or home tutor, were
better as compared to those who do not find any help at home.
PEAS
report further revealed that 78 per cent students had reported that they never
received corporal punishment at school, 20 per cent students said they receive
punishment occasionally and 1.4 per cent said they receive punishment
frequently. The report further says that the students, who receive corporal
punishment, achieved low scores as compared to those who received no punishment.
Around 40 per cent students reported that they read books other than
textbooks for enjoyment. Interestingly, the assessment revealed that students,
who never read any book other than textbooks, achieved better scores as compared
to others who were in habit of reading non-textbooks. "This result is indicative
of the standard of reading material available for young students which
contributes nothing towards broadening their vision", the PEAS report claims.
The report further revealed that highly paid technical and
administrative job holders do not prefer to send their children to government
schools.
During the assessment, shortage of teachers in primary schools
was also exposed, as around 50 per cent teachers claimed that they have to teach
more than one classes in the same period.
Other main findings of the
assessment revealed that only 34.2 per cent teachers had teaching kits, 65.5 per
cent teachers had to perform administrative duties too on daily basis,
Parent-teacher meetings are not very common, Saraiki speaking students performed
better in the subjects of Mathematics, Science and Social Studies as compared to
other home language groups of students.
The scores of those students
were significantly higher whose teachers use black board as compared to those
whose teachers do not use it.
An official of the Punjab Education
Department, commenting on the PEAS report, said poor condition of schools in
rural areas, shortage of teachers, lack of commitment on part of teachers and
lack of interest by higher authorities in schools working in the far flung
areas, contributed towards the fact that students of these areas had low
learning achievement level as compared to students of urban area schools.
He further said, despite a ban on corporal punishment by the education
department, such cases were being reported, adding there is dire need of taking
strict disciplinary action against teachers involved in such activities to
permanently end this practice. Academic circles, expressing their concern over
the results of the PEAS report, say that top government officials do not send
their children to government schools because they know the standard of education
in state run schools.
They emphasize the need for improving standard of
education at public schools, saying most of the people cannot afford private
schooling for their children since it is quite expensive. They are also critical
of absence of quality and healthy literature for school going children.
Senior academicians have also emphasized the need for assessing students
of the high schools and higher secondary schools, particularly in the subject of
English language, since results in the said subject were not so encouraging over
the last many years, especially at graduation and masters' level.
kkreporter@hotmail.com (The News)
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