PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan: Even among top schools, 30% lack resources, 50% need repairs

The PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024, conducted by the autonomous body, Performance, Assessment, Review and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development, has found that low and high-performing schools across the country show remarkably similar characteristics in teaching quality and leadership – highlighting areas of convergence and divergence between different categories of schools.

Drawing from the responses to the “school and teacher questionnaires”, the PARAKH report reveals that key teaching indicators such as subject expertise (91%), teaching experience (70%), and professional qualifications (96–97%) remain consistent across school categories. Similarly, teacher satisfaction is remarkably high, with 92% willing to choose the profession again and 97% of them being satisfied in their current role.

However, institutional weaknesses cut across performance levels.

Visits from academic support institutions like District Institute of Education and Training or DIETs (only 18–19%) and Block or Cluster Resource Centres (BRC, CRC) training (only 30–31%) are low. Only 34–35% of schools have utilised early learning kits like the Jadui Pitara and just 38–40% accommodate children with special needs, revealing key gaps in foundational and inclusive education. Infrastructure and digital support are moderate but uneven, and half of all school buildings still require repairs.

The PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024 surveyed over 21 lakh students and thousands of schools and teachers across India to assess learning outcomes and the conditions influencing them.

While India’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 outlines ambitious reforms for teacher empowerment, distributed leadership, and inclusive learning, this data offers a reality check and uncovers patterns that are not just about academic performance but about the quality of the ecosystem in which teachers work and students learn.

For the purpose of this analysis, schools were classified as low- or high-performing based on aggregate student achievement scores from the PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024 learning assessments conducted in Classes 3, 6, and 9.

Parakh Report: School leadership, policy implementation

The PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan data reveals that awareness and understanding of policy reforms are widespread. A substantial majority of teachers and school heads across low and high-performing schools report having read NEP 2020 (90–91%), along with the latest National Curriculum Frameworks (NCF-FS and NCF-SE), which saw slightly lower but still significant engagement (around 70%).

PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan: Awareness of policies among teachers, principals

The implementation of the Holistic Progress Card (HPC) — a tool central to NEP’s vision — is being rolled out fairly uniformly across stages, ranging from 65% in the preparatory (Classes 3-5) and middle stages (Classes 6-8) to 75% at the secondary level (Classes 9-12). However, while internal awareness is high, external sharing of these frameworks with School Management Committees (SMCs) lags slightly behind, particularly for HPC (only about 61–62%). Leadership delegation is already strong in both categories of schools, with 95% reporting distributed leadership practices.

Furthermore, child safety and anti-bullying policies (such as POCSO, POSH) are in place in over 90% of schools, reflecting compliance with essential safeguards.

PARAKH Survey: Learning resources

Schools across performance categories report relatively strong access to learning materials. About two-thirds have library collections exceeding 500 books and 89–90% report adequate instructional materials.

PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan Result: Books, learning materials, AV equipment

Access to audiovisual tools and libraries is similarly strong, with slight advantages for high-performing schools – 83% vs 81% for AV; 88% vs 86% for libraries. Digital access is also significant — 79–81% of students have access to computers or tablets.

However, early learning tools like the Jadui Pitara, critical for foundational learning, are still scarce, with only 34–35% of schools having access to them. This indicates an area where foundational stage (preschool to Class 2) support remains underdeveloped.

PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan: School monitoring

Monitoring visits by external academic bodies are worryingly infrequent. Less than half of schools — regardless of performance — report visits by Cluster or Block Resource Centres, and only about 18–19% were visited by DIET faculty.

PARAKH Report: Low support from BRCs, CRCs, DIETs

State-level oversight is even rarer, at just 11%. However, internal monitoring appears far more consistent, with nearly all principals observing classrooms annually (97–98%). While 68% of schools received formal inspection reports.

Student development, support systems

Support mechanisms for student learning and well-being show mixed results. Remedial classes are widely offered, with 96% of schools across both categories reporting implementation. However, only around 68–70% of schools have dedicated counsellors, highlighting a significant gap in mental health support. Even more striking is the limited provision for children with special needs — only 38–40% of schools report having accommodations.

PARAKH Survey: Mental health, remedial classes, special needs

Vocational education is also limited, implemented in less than half of schools.

School infrastructure, facilities

Physical infrastructure and digital readiness show relatively good coverage but still reflect systemic deficiencies.

PARAKH: School infrastructure availability

Around 80–82% of schools provide internet access for teachers, and over 85% ensure computer access for teaching staff. However, only about 61–64% have trained ICT support personnel, indicating a gap in technical capacity.

Medical rooms are present in just under half of schools, and around 50% of all schools report needing building repairs. While playground access is high (90–91%), the lack of health facilities and the extent of infrastructure decay suggest the need for significant capital investment in school upkeep and teacher support systems.

Teacher profile, experience

The teaching workforce appears professionally qualified and experienced. In both low- and high-performing schools, 91% of teachers report teaching subjects they are trained in, and 70% have more than five years of teaching experience.

PARAKH Survey: Teachers’ background

Furthermore, 96–97% hold graduate or higher degrees, indicating strong baseline qualifications. This consistency in professional profiles across performance categories suggests that gaps in student achievement are less about teacher education levels.

Professional development, collaboration

Despite high policy awareness (82–83% have read NEP 2020), formal training participation remains limited. Less than a third of teachers have received professional development from BRC/CRC or DIET – key government institutions responsible for training.

PARAKH: In-service training of teachers

On the other hand, collaborative teaching is practiced in nearly all schools (96%), and mentoring through peer coaching occurs in about one-third (34%). About 60% of teachers report identifying their own training needs, suggesting a willingness to engage in professional growth if opportunities are made available.

The low training participation, despite this demand possibly points to a gap between institutional capacity and teacher needs.

Teaching conditions, school environment

Classroom-level support is relatively strong, with almost all students having their own textbooks (97–98%).

Teaching conditions

Positive parental involvement is also reported in 85–86% of schools. However, 52–53% of teachers describe themselves as overworked, and about 37–39% cite lack of resources as a challenge. Infrastructure issues were also noted by 28–30% of teachers.

PARAKH Report: Teachers’ job satisfaction

Despite challenges, teacher satisfaction levels are strikingly high across the board. An overwhelming majority of teachers — 92% — would choose teaching again as a profession, 95% enjoy working in their current schools, and 97% are satisfied with their jobs. Importantly, 92% believe that their profession is socially valued.

Job satisfaction in high, low-performance schools

The PARAKH 2024 survey results hint at the fact that India’s education reforms under NEP 2020 have gained significant traction in terms of awareness, but implementation still lags behind in key areas. While over 90% of school leaders and teachers across low and high-performing schools have read policy documents like NEP and the NCFs, critical components such as the Holistic Progress Card, inclusive education measures, and professional development training have not reached every classroom.

Institutional mechanisms meant to support schools — like Block Resource Centres, DIETs, and state-level inspections — are largely absent and only around 40% of schools report.