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ASER 2024: Learning Recovery, Early Education Gains, and the Digital Shift in Rural India

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(Source – Indian Express, Section – Explained – Page No. – 17)

Topic: GS2 – Social Justice – Education
Context
● The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2024 by Pratham surveyed 6.49 lakh children across 605 rural districts, tracking foundational literacy, arithmetic levels, school attendance, and for the first time, digital literacy among adolescents.

 Analysis of the news:

 What is the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER)?

  • The ASER, is an annual, citizen-led household survey that aims to understand whether children in rural India are enrolled in school and whether they are learning.
  • ASER has been conducted every year since 2005 in all rural districts of India. It is the largest citizen-led survey in India.
  • ASER surveys provided representative estimates of the enrolment status of children aged 3-16 and the basic reading and arithmetic levels of children aged 5-16 at the national, state and district level.

Improvement in Learning Levels

Everything You Need To Know About Aser 2024: Learning Recovery

  • Children aged 6 to 14 years showed a marked improvement in reading and arithmetic across grades, especially in Classes 1 to 3.
  • Among younger children (3–6 years), preschool enrollment rose to 77.4%, a major achievement in ensuring early childhood education.

Impact of NEP 2020 and FLN Initiatives

  • The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 prioritized Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) through programs like NIPUN Bharat (2021).
  • The ASER survey found 83% of schools received government directives for FLN implementation, with significant improvements in teacher training (78%) and learning materials (75%), leading to enhanced early-grade learning outcomes.

Focus on Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE)

  • The NEP recommends Class 1 enrollment at age six, ensuring children are cognitively and socially ready for formal schooling.
  • Anganwadis play a crucial role in bridging this gap, with more than one-third of children aged 3-5 enrolled.
  • Some states, like Himachal Pradesh and Punjab, have shifted towards pre-primary classes in schools, while others, like Rajasthan, have seen a rise in both Anganwadi and private LKG/UKG enrollments.

Trends in Digital Literacy Among Adolescents (15-16 years)

  • The school dropout rate in this age group has declined to 7%, and over 90% of rural adolescents now have smartphone access.
  • However, gender gaps persist in digital skills—1% of boys could browse online, compared to 78.6% of girls, though in southern states, girls performed equally or better.

Conclusion:

  • Achieving quality ECCE requires continuous data collection beyond ASER and UDISE to understand evolving education trends.
  • Strengthening Anganwadi training, parental engagement, and digital literacy can further accelerate learning improvements in rural India.
              What are the Issues Faced by Elementary Education in India?
School Infrastructure and Amenities:

○ Despite improvements in retention rates, there are concerns about the availability of basic amenities in schools. While 95% of schools have drinking water and toilets, over 10% lack electricity.

○ Additionally, there is a lack of digitization, with more than 60% of schools lacking computers, and 90% not having access to internet facilities.

Teacher Shortage and Quality:

○There is a shortage of teachers in schools, and the student-teacher ratio is high. The reliance on contractual teachers is noted, and there is widespread teacher absenteeism.

○The quality of education varies, with a visible divide between well-funded, formal schools and under-resourced, informal schools.

Social Divides:

○There is the existence of social divides, including caste-class, rural-urban, religious, and gender divides, impacting the quality of education provided.

 

Practice Question:  The ASER 2024 report highlights significant progress in foundational literacy, early childhood education, and digital literacy in rural India. Discuss the role of NEP 2020 in driving these improvements and analyze the challenges that remain in achieving equitable learning outcomes across states. (150 Words /10 marks)

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