ISLAMABAD: A new official report, Pakistan’s National Achievement Test (NAT), which was released on Friday, highlighted the low proficiency of students in grades 4 and 8 in mathematics and science subjects.

The report was released here in Islamabad by the Pakistan Institute of Education (PIE), a subsidiary of the Ministry of Federal Education. Besides pointing out the low proficiency of students in mathematics and sciences, the report recommended reforms to improve the learning levels of students.

According to a press release issued by PIE, despite widespread satisfaction among parents and students with the learning environment, the NAT results underscore critical areas for improvement to enhance student learning outcomes.

The press release said that the NAT assessment, which sampled 1283 public sector schools and over 23,000 students nationwide, revealed alarming trends in math proficiency levels among students at Grade 4 and Grade 8 levels.

Only 8 percent of Grade 8 students and 17 percent of Grade 4 students scored 75 percent or more in math assessments, highlighting a significant gap in math proficiency across primary and middle grades.

Speaking on the occasion, the chief guest of the launching ceremony, Federal Secretary Education Waseem Ajmal Chaudhry, said: “The report reveals a teacher shortage, highlighting the need to increase teacher capacity and adopt modern training methods.”.

Mr Chaudhry further said that it was also concerning that the majority of eighth-grade teachers have not received training in math and science in the past two years. “To improve the quality of education, we need to encourage interactive learning methods in classrooms and find ways to increase parental involvement in their children’s education,” he said.

Special Secretary Education Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani said that issues have come to the fore in the NAT: “We have the data, and now action is needed. To ensure quality education, we have to focus on basic education. We should determine a model school in any part of the country, then the measures and policies taken in it should be implemented in all educational institutions,” he said.

Director General PIE Dr Shahid Soroya said: “We must address the identified challenges through concerted efforts, including focusing on teacher training programmes, addressing teacher shortages, and improving mathematics and science education.”

The press release said: “Teachers, who play a pivotal role in shaping students’ academic success, scored the lowest in math assessments, achieving 74% and 71% proficiency levels in Grade 4 and Grade 8, respectively.” It said that a vast majority of Grade 8 teachers had not received any training related to mathematics and science in the last two years.

“More than 75% of parents with children enrolled in Grade 4 and Grade 8 expressed satisfaction with the school’s performance and the student’s environment. Approximately 90% of students enrolled in these grades also reported liking the school’s environment. However, these positive perceptions sharply contrast with the low academic achievement levels,” read the press release.

It said that at the Grade 4 level, students could only achieve a 49% score in mathematics, 56% in English, and 68% in Urdu/Sindhi. Similarly, student performance at the Grade 8 level remained below 51% in mathematics and science.

Vice Chancellor Allama Iqbal Open University Professor Dr. Nasir Mehmood, Senior Education Advisor from Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) Saima Anwer, Assistant Professor Dr Jessica Albrent from LUMS, Maliha Hyder and Toby Linden from the World Bank, and Georgina Glasby from Cambridge International Assessment also spoke at the report launch to share their recommendations and analysis.

Published in Dawn, March 2nd, 2024