BENGALURU: A large-scale maths assessment across rural Karnataka revealed that girls consistently outperformed boys in numeracy skills, particularly in higher performance bands. The findings come from the 2024-25 Gram Panchayat Level Maths Contests Report, released on Monday by Akshara Foundation, a Bengaluru-based trust that has been working to ensure ‘Every Child in School and Learning Well’.
Conducted under the Ganitha Kalika Andolana (GKA) initiative, a maths learning movement supported by the Karnataka government, the assessments were held in 4,890 GPs across 28 districts, assessing 5.95 lakh children from 26,188 schools over 30 days.
These community-led assessments, held outside the schools, provided an evaluation of maths learning levels in Classes 4, 5, and 6. Unlike traditional exams, the survey aimed to bridge numeracy gaps in government schools while involving parents, teachers, and local communities in discussions about students’ learning.
The report highlighted that in Class 4, girls made up 53.1% of participants, slightly outnumbering boys (46.9%). Girls outperformed boys by 4% points in the top performance band. The participation of girls increased to 54.1% in Class 5, and while overall performance improved in subtraction (52% proficiency), division skills declined to 38%. In Class 6, girls comprised 53.2% of participants and maintained their lead, outperforming boys by 2.5% points in the top band. The data suggests that while girls are excelling in maths, boys require additional support to strengthen foundational skills.