NEW DELHI: Students in Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) schools across India outperform their peers from other school systems in academic skills, according to a nationwide survey.
The survey, which assessed students in grades 3, 6 and 9, found that while CBSE students perform on par with others at the primary level, they begin to outperform their counterparts as they move to higher classes, documents shared by officials show.
The 'Paraksh Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024', conducted by NCERT on behalf of the Ministry of Education across 36 states and union territories last year, was made public recently. A total of 3,97,719 students and 14,144 teachers from 47,390 CBSE-affiliated schools participated in the survey. They were part of a broader sample that included 21,15,022 students and 2,70,424 teachers from 74,229 schools nationwide.
Within the CBSE system, schools in Kerala and Goa performed significantly better than their counterparts in other states, while those in Puducherry and Sikkim were among the lowest performers, the data shows.
At the Grade 3 level, which covered 89,905 students, the proficiency level of CBSE students was identical to the national average—64% in language and 60% in mathematics. However, the performance gap widens noticeably in the higher classes.
At the Grade 6 level, based on data from 1,34,594 students, CBSE students outperformed their peers by significant margins.
In mathematics, the gap stood at 13 percentage points—59% proficiency compared to a 46% national average. In language, it was 68% versus 57%, and in the category The World Around Us (which includes geography, history, and science and technology), 58% versus 49%.
The gap continues to grow at the Grade 9 level, which saw the largest group surveyed—1,73,220 students.
Here, 69% of CBSE students were proficient in language, compared to 54% nationally. In mathematics, 47% were proficient, against a national average of 37%. In both science and social science, CBSE students scored nine percentage points higher than the national average.
Coverage: 89,905 students
| Subject | CBSE | National |
|---|---|---|
| Language | 64% | 64% |
| Maths | 60% | 60% |
Coverage: 1,34,594 students
| Subject | CBSE | National |
|---|---|---|
| Language | 68% | 57% |
| Maths | 59% | 46% |
| The World Around Us | 58% | 49% |
Coverage: 1,73,220 students
| Subject | CBSE | National |
|---|---|---|
| Language | 69% | 54% |
| Mathematics | 47% | 37% |
| Science | 51% | 40% |
| Social Science | 49% | 40% |
The report notes that the findings could have significant policy implications. “The better outcomes of CBSE in Grade 6 and 9 underscores the need for targeted pedagogical interventions across other types of school management. There is a need for continued support and augmentation of school-led initiatives for improving the performance of state government schools,” it points out.
Another major implication from the report is the need to create 'Safe and Friendly School Environment' for students, the study said.
A total of 19% of the nearly 4 lakh CBSE students interacted with had reported incidents of being teased, 22% of them reported being excluded, 19% faced threats while 21% said they faced physical bullying.
The report also pointed out that despite 41% of CBSE schools offering skill courses for Grade 9 and above, only 65% of students are opting for them. “Partnerships with industries and sector skill councils to make skill courses more aspirational and relevant to economies,” was necessary, it said.
On inclusiveness at the school level, it said that just 32% of schools offer assistive devices. Peer support and sensitisation programmes should be promoted to foster inclusive classroom environments, it added.