India debuts in global student test,all eyes on results

Around 16,000 students from 400 schools in Tamil Nadu and Himachal Pradesh will figure in the PISA this year.

With Chinas impressive debut in the prestigious Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) last year grabbing world attention,all eyes are now on India.

Sources in the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry have confirmed that assessments of around 16,000 students from 400 schools in Tamil Nadu and Himachal Pradesh will figure in the PISA this year.

While India participated in the PISA in 2010-end,the results will be declared later this year and will be keenly watched.

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This is Indias first attempt at the prestigious ratings.

After the 2010-11 PISA results for Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu are declared,India will go for a countrywide assessment for the 2012 cycle.

While institutes of higher education in India have hardly made a mark in international assessments such as the Times QS rankings,barring the IITs,there may still be hope for Indian schools.

While PISA 2000,2003 and 2006 have been completed,the 2009 survey is almost complete with 65 countries having participated in it.

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Another nine countries,including India,took the PISA only in 2010 so,their rankings will be declared in December 2011.

While there are no sure answers on why India had kept itself out of the PISA for all these years,the HRD Ministry now says that this is set to be corrected.

Korea and Finland topped the PISA 2009 assessment,announced last month.

A surprise entry was China. Shanghai province took part for the first time and scored higher in reading than any country and topped the table in maths and science.