Malda: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, the District Inspector of Schools (Secondary Education), Malda successfully conducted the District Achievement Survey (DAS) across 161 centres on Saturday. A total of 17,943 students from classes III, VI and IX participated in this landmark assessment, aimed at preparing students for future state and national-level evaluations.
The survey, inspired by the National Achievement Survey (NAS 2024) conducted on December 4, 2024, and the subsequent State Achievement Survey (SAS), seeks to enhance the academic readiness and confidence of students in Malda district.
District Inspector of Schools (SE) Banibrata Das stated: “In the NAS and SAS, Malda’s performance was slightly below the national average. The DAS has been introduced to identify learning gaps and prepare our students more effectively for upcoming assessments.” Around 20,100 students were scheduled to appear, but over 2,000 remained absent. Despite that, education officials termed the participation encouraging. The initiative received enthusiastic support from schools across the district.
At Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Vidyapith, one of the major centres, Headmaster Swami Tapaharananda Maharaj praised the initiative, saying: “The standard of education in Malda has lagged behind other districts in the state. This survey is an excellent step to help students improve and gain confidence.” Similarly, Pukhuria High School in Ratua II block also hosted the exam. Assistant Headmistress Piyali Kumar noted: “Thanks to DI Malda for such an initiative. Regular assessments like this help us understand where students are falling behind. Such exercises should be conducted more frequently.”
Education officials believe the DAS will serve as a strong preparatory platform before the next State Achievement Survey, marking a major stride toward improving the district’s educational standards.