Daijiworld Media Network- Kolhapur
Kolhapur, Jul 2: Maharashtra’s school education system showed marked improvement in 2023-24, with Kolhapur district emerging as a shining example of progress, as per the Performance Grading Index (PGI) released by the Union Ministry of Education.
The PGI 2023-24 report, which assesses school education quality across the country, placed Kolhapur at the top among 22 districts in Maharashtra in the Prachesta-I category, highlighting its strong performance in learning outcomes. The district also secured the highest marks in the Centre’s PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan report, underlining its consistent academic excellence.In contrast, Mumbai ranked sixth among the top-performing districts, while Parbhani, Mumbai Suburban, and Gadchiroli were listed among the lowest performers in the state.
Kolhapur scored 345 out of 600 marks in the PGI, placing it firmly in the Prachesta-I category, which denotes districts that meet 51-60% of performance targets. Other districts in the top 10 included Satara, Solapur, Sangli, Ahilyanagar, Mumbai, Nagpur, Washim, Pune, and Jalgaon.
The PGI assesses schools on five parameters:
• Outcomes (290 marks) – including student learning, quality of education, and teacher availability
• Classroom transactions
• Infrastructure
• Digital learning
• Governance
Kolhapur scored 161 out of 290 in the “Outcomes” segment – the highest in Maharashtra – owing to focused interventions under the Mission Utkarsh programme.
S. Karthikeyan, CEO of Kolhapur Zilla Parishad, credited the success to structured planning and infrastructure investment. “We addressed previous shortcomings, repaired school buildings, toilets, ramps, and installed purified water units. Mock exams and digital learning modules helped improve student outcomes,” he said.
The PARAKH survey conducted by the Centre further validated Kolhapur’s performance, showing it topped the learning outcome rankings in Maharashtra. A randomized testing initiative last year assessed students on subjects like language, mathematics, and general knowledge.
Education expert Shankar Yadav, based in Kolhapur, remarked, “The PGI framework is a crucial mirror to evaluate strengths and weaknesses. Maharashtra has made significant strides, but we must now aim for the top tiers — ‘Uttam’ and ‘Utkarsh’ — through consistent focus on activity-based learning and resource enhancement.”
While 107 districts across India made it to the Prachesta-I category this year, Maharashtra’s climb in the rankings signals positive momentum in public school education — with Kolhapur setting the benchmark