Fri Sep 26 14:20:36 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summary of the text and a news article rewrite:
**Summary:**
The General Education Department in Thiruvananthapuram, India, will conduct a State Achievement Survey (SAS) in January 2026. This survey, modeled after the National Achievement Survey (NAS), will assess the competencies of approximately 25,000 students in government, aided, and unaided schools following the state syllabus. The goal is to identify areas where students need more support and implement corrective measures. The survey will cover language, mathematics, science, and social science. The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) is preparing model question papers. Concurrently, the SCERT and Samagra Shiksha Kerala (SSK) are conducting an analysis of first-term answer scripts, and teacher training is planned to improve academic support for students. Recent criticism of the first-term exam question papers has been addressed by officials, who emphasize the need for teachers and students to adapt to the competency-based assessment style. The data gathered will help pinpoint specific subject areas where students excel or struggle.
**News Article:**
**Kerala to Conduct State Achievement Survey in January 2026**
*Thiruvananthapuram, September 26, 2025* – The General Education Department of Kerala announced today that it will administer a State Achievement Survey (SAS) in January of next year. The survey aims to evaluate the academic performance of approximately 25,000 students across government, aided, and unaided schools following the state curriculum.
Modeled after the National Achievement Survey (NAS), the SAS will assess student competencies in core subjects: language, mathematics, science, and social science. The goal is to identify areas where students may require additional support and to implement targeted interventions to improve learning outcomes.
“This survey is crucial for understanding our students’ strengths and weaknesses, particularly in subjects like mathematics and social sciences, which students often find challenging,” said an official from the SCERT, the organization leading the survey development.
The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) is currently developing model question papers to familiarize students with the survey format. In addition, the SCERT, in partnership with Samagra Shiksha Kerala (SSK), is analyzing first-term answer scripts to gain further insights into student performance.
Minister for General Education V. Sivankutty announced that training will be provided to all teachers on the academic support strategies needed by students.
The announcement follows recent criticism from teachers’ organizations regarding the complexity of first-term examination question papers. Education officials have addressed concerns by noting that the intention of the new format is to foster reading comprehension and critical thinking skills, rather than rote memorization. Officials have emphasized that teachers were given an orientation during the summer vacations. Model question papers were published so that teachers could familiarize students with the competency-based questions.
“We are confident that students will become more comfortable with this new approach as they gain more experience with competency-based assessments,” the SCERT official stated. “The data collected from this survey will provide invaluable information for tailoring educational strategies and ensuring that all students have the opportunity to succeed.”
First Piper 