School education index: Kerala betters grade, score

The denial of funds by the Union government notwithstanding, Kerala has improved its performance by a grade in the Union Ministry of Education’s Performance Grading Index 2.0 for States/Union Territories (UT) for the year 2024-25.

Kerala has received the grade Prachesta – 2, an improvement from Prachesta-3 in 2023-24. Along with the grade, its scrores too have risen from 594.2 in 2023-24 to 687.7 in 2024-25, according to a report brought out by the Ministry’s Department of School Education and Literacy.

Prachesta-2 is for score range 641-700, that is 41% to 50% of the total 1,000 points across 70 indicators (down from 73 in 2023-24) under two categories - outcomes (with four domains) and governance management (with two domains).

No State has achieved the top four grades. While Chandigarh (score of 739.1) and Punjab (709.1) have achieved the Prachesta-1 grade, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Delhi, Odisha, Maharashtra, and Himachal Pradesh are ranked along with Kerala in Prachesta-2. Kerala though has the highest score among them.

Kerala has also secured the topmost Utkarsh grade (72.8-80 ) in the access domain, with a score of 75.3. Puducherry which also falls in the same grade has a scrore of 72.8.

In the teacher education and training domain, Kerala has achieved the topmost grade of Uttam-1 (81-90.9) along with Chandigarh, Delhi, and Lakshadweep. It has a scrore of 85.8, more than the States/UTs in the same bracket.

It has Uttam-1 (210.6-236.5) grade in the equity domain with a score of 223.2. Thirty-two States have achieved this grade. Delhi followed by Chandigarh have achieved the highest Utkarsh grade.

Learning outcomes domain

It is the only State to secure the Prachesta-1 grade (122.4-146.3) in the learning outcomes domain, just below Punjab (150.4) that has been graded Uttam-3. Kerala has a score of 140.3.

Kerala has secured the Prachesta-1 grade (96.9- 115.8) in the infrastructure and facilities domain too, with a score of 110.3. Chandigarh has attained the grade of Uttam-2, scoring 147.5. Himachal Pradesh is only 0.2 points ahead, with a score of 110.5.

Kerala has the Prachesta-3 grade (40.3-53.2) in the governance processes domain. It scored 52.8. The highest grade of Uttam-3 has been bagged by four States.

V. Sivankutty, Minister for General Education in the outgoing Left Democratic Front (LDF) government, said in a statement that the increase in performance grading index scores by 93.5 in a short span was a matter of pride, especially since it had been able to match States/UTs such as Punjab and Chandigarh in some domains.

The report, he said, was a recognition of the comprehensive changes implemented by the LDF in the public education sector. “It is notable that without implementing the National Education Policy 2020, Kerala has matched the performance or improved upon States that have implemented the policy,” Mr. Sivankutty said.