NEW DELHI: With every other report on education pointing to a major quality deficit and dipping learning levels, the Human Resource Development (HRD) ministry is readying a slew of measures towards course correction right at school and the PMO is tracking closely.From holding annual learning assessment surveys across states to developing a ‘sound’ question paper for higher secondary classes and ‘social auditing’ of how much a child manages to learn from classroom teaching, the ministry is set to roll out a full-fledged school reform programme.While staying off any major examination reform at school level as of now, the government is in the middle of devising a ‘sound’ question paper design for Boards exams and higher secondary classes.The ‘sound’ question paper - with questions of varying difficulty levels is being formulated by experts as the model for all state boards to follow to ensure fair and correct assessment of student learning.The ministry is learnt to have decided to hold the National Assessment Survey every year so that clear deficit trends and data is available and can be acted upon in the very next academic session.Currently, it is held once in three years and in some states at a time. The survey—to be conducted by NCERT—will work as the baseline data for a number of other measures planned for quality upgrade at schools. The data be utilised to also assess teacher performance.While there is cent per cent enrollment now, classroom teaching quality leaves must to be desired. Teacher absenteeism, untrained teachers, teachers vacancies are problems plaguing every other school.The ministry has shot off letters to all states to develop proper and transparent polices for teacher recruitment and also to work out a proper system for deployment of teachers in rural areas as well.The Centre is set to begin a process of ‘social auditing’ of school goers learning levels. This will be matched against identified grade wise learning targets. Over the next one month, the NCERT will be able to formulate clear grade-wise learning targets which will now on be put on display across schools.The social auditing will involve parents, wards, independent monitoring agencies and even the panchayats.With a number of single-teacher schools dotting rural areas and other schools running with poor resources and dismal enrollment levels, the Centre has decided to work on ways to converge such small schools into single entities.A national assessment of learning is a good idea. It can build on efforts taken by the NCERT for select classes. But to ensure improved learning outcomes, it is important to address the shortcomings in the learning experience.The HRD ministry would do well to focus on improving teacher accountability, empowering teachers to experiment with learning materials to address the needs of their classrooms, and encouraging local language instruction in the early years. A strong base will result in better outcomes as the child progresses through school.