SAT results showing downward trend in Sindh schools

KARACHI: A senior official of the Reform Support Unit on Saturday told The News that during the last three years, Standardised Achievement Test (SAT) results were showing a downward trend. 

The department now feels the need for constituting a task force to improve the results by developing modern teaching methods and approach at the government-run schools.

This task force was notified in September 2015. A number of external partners and aligned departments are part of this task force, according to the official.

Thematic working groups have also been constituted to work on the recommendations on four themes --curriculum, teacher education, learning materials development and resource allocation. 

The main purpose of the task force was to identify gaps and recommend concrete steps to control this situation, she further said.

The SAT 2015-16 will be conducted in all government schools of Sindh from February 8 till March 12. The test is conducted for the students of government schools from classes V and VIII, where their performance in mathematics, science and language will be assessed.

For three years, SAT has been being conducted at government schools across Sindh by the Reform Support Unit. A third party prepares the test paper as well as results of the test. 

“There is a need to trace reasons due to which SAT results are still under par. Such tests are helpful for students but yet the results are not satisfactory,” the official said.

According to the RSU official, in Sukkur and Larkana divisions, the set will be held from February 8 to 18, in Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas divisions, students would take the test from February 19 till March 1, and in Karachi and Shaheed Benazirabad divisions, SAT has been schedule from March 2 to 12. 

The RSU would supervise the exercise in these regions.

Earlier, a sample test was conducted on 11 January in six districts (Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Shaheed Benazirabad, Tharparkar and Kashmore). The districts were divided to incorporate urban and rural divisions. Around 60 percent of the students who appeared for the sample test were boys while 40 percent were girls.

A report on the sample test was prepared by a third party, which helped them to prepare for the actual SAT. For the preparation of SAT, a sample test booklet was also circulated at government schools across Sindh. The sample papers are also available on www.satsindh.net.pk, the official said.

Every year a performance report was prepared and published for each district, which was also available on the website, she mentioned.