AP govt inks deal with US-based testing service to offer English assessment for govt school students

The Andhra Pradesh government and Princeton-based Educational Testing Service (ETS) have signed an agreement to offer customised English assessments for government school students. This collaboration is aimed at fortifying the English language skills of lakhs of students which could aid in promoting academic excellence, a government press release said on Friday.

“We wish that government institutions' students will bag top jobs at the global level. We are working towards that goal,” Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy was quoted as saying in the release.

He said the "noble initiative" is aimed at making a profound societal impact and aimed at revolutionising education in the state to pave the way for a brighter future. Under the five-year deal, ETS will evaluate and certify English language proficiency in students from classes 3 to 10 across all government schools through the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) Young Students Series assessments.

TOEFL Primary and TOEFL Junior standard tests will be deployed to assess English reading and listening skills in classes 3 to 5 and 6 to 9 respectively, while TOEFL Junior Speaking Test will assess the English speaking skills of 10th standard students. As most of the students are first-generation English learners, the customised tests will assess their readiness to take certification tests.

ETS country manager Sachin Jain India said that the emphasis being laid on English language at a very young age in the state will better prepare students for long term success, and noted that he has seen firsthand the power of English as a gateway to global opportunities. Chief Minister Reddy said these English assessments would also be introduced at the intermediate education level in the future.