Tamil Nadu has recorded the lowest score in the learning outcomes category among all southern states in the latest Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2.0 report released by the Union education ministry, raising fresh concerns over foundational learning levels in the state’s school system, as reported in Times of India.
According to the PGI 2.0 report for 2024-25, students from Classes III, VI and IX in Tamil Nadu scored just 55.1 out of 240 in the learning outcomes domain based on the Parakh assessment test conducted by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) in 2024.
Among southern states, Kerala emerged far ahead with a score of 140.3 out of 240. Andhra Pradesh scored 79.6, Karnataka secured 72.7 and Telangana recorded 69, all performing significantly better than Tamil Nadu in the learning outcomes category.
Punjab topped the national rankings in learning outcomes with 150.4 out of 240.
Despite the poor performance in learning attainment, Tamil Nadu registered comparatively stronger scores in other educational indicators. The state scored 72.2 out of 80 in access, 108 out of 190 in infrastructure, 231 out of 260 in equity, and 76.3 out of 100 in teacher education and training.
Overall, Tamil Nadu improved its aggregate score compared to the previous academic year, recording 582.4 out of 1,000 and moving up one level in the national education index.
The district-wise PGI data also revealed sharp regional disparities within the state. Krishnagiri, Kanyakumari, Erode, Tiruchirappalli and Dharmapuri performed strongly across most domains, while Pudukkottai, Cuddalore, Ramanathapuram, Ranipet and Tenkasi recorded weaker scores across categories.
Former director of school education K Devarajan said the state needed to prioritise classroom teaching to improve learning outcomes. He argued that teachers should not be burdened with data-entry and administrative work during school hours and said classrooms should return to more traditional teaching methods.
Su Moorthy, state coordinator of the Federation of Education Development, reportedly attributed the weak learning outcomes primarily to teacher shortages in primary and middle schools. He pointed out that nearly 11,000 primary schools in Tamil Nadu were functioning with only two teachers and argued that the government should appoint at least one teacher for every class in all primary schools to address foundational learning gaps.
Officials from the school education department, however, maintained that the Parakh assessment reflected the performance of students assessed in 2024 and did not represent the present batch of students.
According to department officials, the state government conducted a large-scale State-Level Achievement Survey (SLAS) in 2025 and identified around 7.47 lakh students from Classes VI to IX with learning gaps. Officials claimed that a targeted intervention programme implemented during the previous academic year helped more than seven lakhs of those students attain basic learning outcomes.
Subscribe to our channels on WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram and YouTube to get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.
