HRD minister meets PISA coordinator, discusses preparations of India for OECD

With India set to participate in the OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment after a gap of over a decade, Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' met Division Head and PISA coordinator Andreas Schleicher here on Friday to discuss the preparations. "It was the first ever meeting of the minister with the PISA coordinator to discuss the preparations of India for PISA 2021. An officer from World Bank and senior officials of the ministry were also present during the meeting.

"Schleicher reviewed the preparations of India towards PISA 2021. He also expressed his satisfaction on various initiatives being taken by the ministry and the CBSE in introducing reforms in examination system and march towards competency-based learning," an official statement by the Ministry of Human Resource Development said. Schleicher offered the HRD minister to send a team to Paris to understand the whole examination process of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and ensured support of the Organisation for the Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to help the team.

"This examination is an important platform to bring global recognition to Indian talent. There is no dearth of competence, discipline and talent among our students, but the need is that they get the right direction and guidance," Pokhriyal was quoted as saying in the statement. Carried out every three years by the OECD for its members and partner nations, PISA is meant to assess key knowledge and skills of students in the age group of 15 years in mathematics, science and reading.

India has participated in PISA test only once, in 2009. After an abysmal performance, India stayed away from the test in 2012 and 2015.

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