{
  "id": 6003533,
  "title": "Success Is Irrelevant If It is Defined Terribly And Measured Horribly",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/06/success-is-irrelevant-if-it-is-defined-terribly-and-measured-horribly",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-06T16:08:28.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Press Journal",
    "slug": "free-press-journal",
    "url": "https://www.freepressjournal.in/analysis/success-is-irrelevant-if-it-is-defined-terribly-and-measured-horribly"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The recent surge of activism among young people in India has shed light on the dire need for reform in the country's education system. Quality education from grades ten to twelve is crucial for every child, regardless of their circumstances, to realize their full potential and contribute positively to society. Despite the government's commitment, significant investments, and the Right to Education Act (RTE), numerous children still fail to fulfill their potential.\n\nThe media often focuses on budget allocations and infrastructure improvements, ignoring the critical aspect of learning outcomes and genuine child empowerment. While increased funds and better infrastructure are welcome, they alone will not solve the problem. Economists argue for allocating 6% of the GDP to education, a higher percentage than found in the United States. However, only 60% of children in India attend public schools, and the percentage enrolled in government-run schools is declining.\n\nIn the past decade, despite numerous funded programs and the RTE Act, learning outcomes have actually declined. In 2005, Pratham's Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) found that 39% of fifth-graders could not read a second-grade-level passage, and over 55% could not perform a simple division. This trend has worsened over the past two decades, with national learning outcomes declining by 12-15% in both fifth and eighth grades. The National Achievement Surveys show that while 93% of students pass class X, only about 20% possess grade-level competency.\n\nWhat is causing this decline? The central failure lies in the assessment and examination system. For decades, examinations were either irrelevant or focused solely on rote memory. The RTE's neglect of outcomes and the emphasis on stress-free, competency-based testing have exacerbated the situation. Parents are highly motivated to provide a better future for their children, and teachers are well-compensated. However, the lack of focus on basic skills, such as comprehension, communication, understanding concepts, and applying them to real-world problems, has led to poor learning outcomes.",
  "summary": "Thanks to the Gen-Z unrest, at long last there is some much-needed focus on school education in India. There is nothing more important than imparting quality school education up to the tenth or twelfth standard to all children irrespective of the accident of the womb and circumstances at birth. Quality school education is critical for the child to fulfil her potential and become a productive…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}