Driving Educational Excellence: SQAF, SQAAF, CBSE, NAAC, and Luneblaze!

The School Quality Assessment Framework (SQAF) is revolutionizing ecosystems in PM SHRI Schools by providing a robust tool for evaluating school quality in alignment with NEP 2020 guidelines. It organizes key dimensions and standards into six domains, enabling the enhancement of education quality through the collection and sharing of crucial data with stakeholders. By establishing a common language for school assessments, SQAF ensures transparency and efficiency among stakeholders, streamlining evaluations and producing district and state reports that contribute to improved educational standards and a student-centered approach. The six pillars of SQAF include Infrastructure (adequacy, functionality, aesthetics, and safety), Human Resources and School Leadership, Management, Monitoring, and Governance, Beneficiary Satisfaction, Curriculum, Pedagogy, and Assessment, and Inclusive Practices and Gender Equity. (Source: PM SHRI Portal)

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has taken decisive action against non-compliant schools, disaffiliating 21 schools and downgrading 6 to the secondary level, following a circular dated November 6. These measures were taken after surprise inspections on September 3 across 27 schools in Rajasthan and Delhi, aimed at enforcing mandatory student attendance in classes IX-XII as per CBSE’s Affiliation and Examination Bye-Laws. Schools were given 30 days to respond to Show Cause Notices addressing these issues. This move underscores CBSE’s dedication to combating dummy admissions and maintaining integrity among its affiliated institutions.(Source: CBSE Portal)

The State School Standard Authority (SSSA), set up by the Maharashtra State School Education Department, will assess schools in the state using the SQAAF framework developed by SCERT under NEP 2020 guidelines. Schools will be graded from A+ to C based on their performance in areas such as infrastructure, teaching quality, safety, inclusivity, and gender equality. Grades must be displayed by schools, and all data will be made publicly available on an SSSA website. Schools will conduct annual self-assessments, complemented by third-party evaluations every two years to ensure accuracy and accountability. This significant step is set to transform educational standards, making quality education transparent and accessible for parents and students.(Source: The Knowledge Review)

On November 26, 2024, India celebrated 75 years since the adoption of its Constitution, honoring its framers' vision and reaffirming commitment to justice, equality, and children's right to education. The CBSE encouraged schools to mark the occasion with morning assemblies, seminars, debates, creative contests, and community awareness activities like street plays and human chains. Similarly, the University Grants Commission (UGC) urged HEIs to boost constitutional awareness through Preamble readings, webinars, quizzes, and local drives with guest speakers. Schools uploaded reports on the CBSE portal, while HEIs registered events on My Bharat Portal to foster public engagement. Educational institutions nationwide united to celebrate and uphold the Constitution’s spirit. (Source: www.cbse.gov.in)

Anil Sahasrabudhe , National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) chairman, spoke at SR University convocation, emphasizing AI’s impact on education but its inability to replace humans. He called for a value-based education system to prevent AI misuse and praised the NEP-2020 for reducing student stress and promoting early skill development. Sahasrabudhe noted how the pandemic boosted online education and highlighted NEP’s multi-disciplinary approach, allowing students to study diverse subjects. He also welcomed APAAR, a 12-digit ID enabling students to display their achievements without multiple certificates. He urged graduates to continue learning and adapt to job market changes. (Source: The Mook Nayak)

Governor Anandiben Patel urged colleges to aim for NAAC grading, following universities with high scores. At the NAAC Sankalp workshop at Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University (affiliated institutes) , Lucknow, she encouraged institutions to meet NAAC criteria. Key success strategies included adding photos to the Self Study Report (SSR), strengthening mentor-mentee ties, applying for research patents, and addressing student feedback. Patel advised teachers to create engaging online lectures and host monthly educational and cultural events. She also suggested industry-focused courses for technical universities and called for inclusive NAAC teams. The workshop, led by former NAAC Director Prof. AN Rai, included expert presentations on all seven assessment criteria and was attended by 193 institutions from regions like Lucknow, Banda, Jhansi, and Kanpur.(Source: Hindustan Times)

Chandigarh leads North India in college accreditation, with 58% of its 26 colleges (15 in total) holding NAAC accreditation, surpassing Delhi’s 53%. In universities, Chandigarh follows closely with 67% accredited, compared to Delhi’s 70%. NAAC Director Prof. Ganesan Kannabiran announced this at the "vice-chancellors’ conference" on NEP 2020, hosted by Punjab Governor UT administrator Gulab Chand Kataria. The conference focused on educational excellence and institutional growth, attended by university leaders and Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains . Kannabiran shared NAAC’s goal to cover 90% of HEIs in five years and advocated for balanced accreditation methods. UGC’s Dr Avichal Kapur highlighted 5,03,056 APAAR IDs created in Punjab, with 21% under the Academic Bank of Credits. Governor Kataria and Education Minister Bains reinforced Punjab’s commitment to research-focused, employment-driven education.(Source: Hindustan Times)

Anil Sahasrabudhe, chairman of NETF, announced NAAC's shift from the traditional grading system to a Binary Accreditation model to address data manipulation concerns, particularly in Uttar Pradesh. This change aims to increase participation and align with global best practices. Additionally, NAAC will introduce a Maturity-Based Graded Accreditation model, with Level 5 institutions being recognized as “Institutions of Global Excellence for Multi-Disciplinary Research and Education.” The focus will shift from input-based to outcome-based metrics, such as research and patents, promoting tangible results and global competitiveness. Existing grades remain valid for five years before transitioning to the new model. This initiative was discussed at the “National Summit of Institutional Leaders” at University of Lucknow . (Source: Hindustan Times)

Another highlight is a proud partnership with Fr. Angel Group of Schools ( Fr. Agnel School, Noida , Father Agnel School , and Fr. Agnel School, Vaishali, Ghaziabad) for their SQAAF implementation. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to FR. JOSE ALARICO CARVALHO , Director of Fr. Agnel Group of Schools, for placing their trust in us. Recognizing the importance of streamlined accreditation management, the school has chosen Luneblaze’s AI-enabled platform to simplify data organization, accreditation tracking, and SQAAF compliance.

Luneblaze provides an AI-enabled SAAS solution to educational institutions for all their accreditation-related needs. Luneblaze’s commitment to supporting educators is further shown through monthly SQAAF training sessions, focusing on practical suggestions for improvement, expert guidance, and networking opportunities. In November, two insightful SQAAF sessions were held focusing on Domain 6: Leadership and Domain 7: Beneficiary Satisfaction. Dr. Deepti Chaturvedi , Principal of Silicon City International School, a CBSE Resource Person and Rajya Sabha Fellow, and Dr. Manjari Tejpal , Principal of GEMS Education , a distinguished CBSE Resource Person and SQAAF Trainer, were the esteemed expert speakers for these sessions.

By the time the Domain 6: Leadership session took place on November 16th, 2024, over 2,800 participants from 113 schools across India had benefited from our SQAAF sessions. Following the Domain 7: Beneficiary Satisfaction session on November 30th, 2024, this number grew to over 3,200 participants from 160 schools nationwide.

Thank you for being part of this journey. More updates will be shared as the commitment to enhancing educational quality moves forward.

Together, let's raise educational standards. Luneblaze provides a comprehensive end-to-end solution to Educational Institutions for all their accreditation criteria needs be it Documents & Evidence Creation, Self- Assessment Filing support on CBSE SQAAF Portal, Faculty Trainings, Audits and Consultancy Support. With the help of Luneblaze’s AI enabled solutions, institutions can organize and manage all their data related to accreditation and assessments like SQAAF for schools and NAAC accreditation in colleges.

Reach out: [email protected] or visit our websitewww.luneblaze.com!