After being listed among the ten worst-performing states in school education, the Gujarat government has decided to focus on assessing how actively teachers are engaging in classrooms.
A panel formed to revise Gunotsav — the state’s annual evaluation exercise for government schools and students — has proposed measuring teacher performance based on their participation in Continuous Professional Development (CPD) programmes. This move is aimed at bringing Gujarat’s education review process in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the national assessment system.
“Under NEP-2020, teachers must undergo 50 hours of professional training each year. The idea is to verify not just whether they have completed this training but also how effectively they apply it in classrooms,” Jayendrasinh Jadav, chairman of the expert panel and registrar of the Gujarat Sahitya Academy, told a national daily. “We also need a clear framework to identify good teachers,” he was quoted.
Last week, the state constituted two committees — a five-member expert group and a sub-committee of government school teachers — to frame new Gunotsav guidelines. They have met twice and will meet again this week. Their report is expected within a month.
The decision follows the PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024 report, which placed Gujarat among the lowest-ranked states in school education. To address these gaps, the committee is considering adopting parameters from SARTHAQ (Students’ and Teachers’ Holistic Advancement through Quality Education)and strengthening the state’s accreditation system.
“For a transparent and strong accreditation framework, we must examine how teachers are adapting to NEP reforms and participating in school activities,” Jadav was quoted. He suggested identifying high-performing teachers and schools and incentivising them to encourage improvement across the system.
The Gujarat Council of Educational Research and Training (GCERT) is also reviewing the School Quality Assessment and Assurance Framework (SQAAF) developed by PARAKH for possible adoption in the state.
The Gunotsav initiative, first introduced in 2009 by then Chief Minister Narendra Modi, has undergone multiple revisions — the latest in 2023–24 — to align with new schemes such as Chief Minister Gyan Setu and Gyan Sadhana Merit Scholarship Yojana. These scholarship components now account for 30% of the overall score, up from 17%, while the weightage for classroom teaching, co-curricular activities, and school management has been nearly halved.
With the state performing below the national average on several learning indicators, the education department has asked the committees to expedite their recommendations so that changes can take effect during the current academic year.
Reacting to the move of the state government, Gujarat Congress spokesperson Dr. Manish Doshi told Vibes of India that there is shortage of teachers in the schools and the teachers are assigned non-educational duties. When will the recruitment happen, he questioned.
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