Profiles of over 29,000 UP Board secondary schools are now online

Prayagraj: Students and parents seeking admission to secondary schools in Uttar Pradesh can now make informed choices by accessing comprehensive details of all govt-aided and unaided institutions affiliated with the UP Board through the newly developed ‘Pehchaan’ portal. The initiative, aimed at bringing greater transparency and accountability into the school education system, provides detailed profiles of all 29,210 secondary schools across the state.The portal enables users to access school-specific information from the comfort of their homes. By selecting a district and block, users can view the list of govt, aided and unaided schools functioning in the area and compare them on various academic and infrastructural parameters. It also provides district-wise and state-level rankings of schools, allowing parents and students to assess the relative standing of institutions before taking admission.One of the key features of the portal is its repository of academic performance. Users can check the board examination results of any school over the past 10 years, along with its success percentage in the board examinations during the last five years. The data is expected to help students and parents evaluate the consistency of a school’s academic performance.Apart from examination records, the portal offers detailed information about the infrastructure available in every school.

It includes the number of classrooms, availability of subject-wise teachers, smart classrooms, science laboratories, computer laboratories, internet connectivity, electricity supply and drinking water facilities. Schools can also be located through Google Maps integrated into the portal, making it easier for parents to identify and visit institutions.The Board has also introduced a ‘Pehchaan Score’ to grade schools on a 200-point scale.

The grading is based on six parameters designed to measure both academic and infrastructural standards. Schools can secure a maximum of 20 marks based on student enrolment, another 20 marks on the ratio between student strength and classrooms, and up to 40 marks on the teacher-student ratio. Infrastructure facilities carry 30 marks, while the number of students figuring in the board merit list accounts for another 25 marks.

The remaining marks are awarded under other prescribed performance indicators, with the cumulative score determining the overall grade of the institution.Officials believe the grading mechanism will encourage healthy competition among schools and motivate them to improve educational standards as well as infrastructure.UP Board Secretary Bhagwati Singh said the objective of introducing the ‘Pehchaan Score’ is to foster healthy competition among schools so that they ensure adequate availability of teachers in proportion to student enrolment and strengthen essential infrastructure. He said the initiative is expected to improve the quality of education and help students perform better in board examinations while enabling parents to make well-informed decisions regarding school admissions.