Context

The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2024, released by NGO Pratham, sheds light on India’s rural education status, showing a mixed trend in recovery from COVID-19 learning losses. It surveyed 6.5 lakh children, revealing improvements in basic reading and math skills, but significant gaps remain.

Key Findings:

Reading Skills

The results from ASER 2024 show that while there has been a slight improvement compared to the levels seen during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, a significant portion of children still lag behind in basic reading.

·         Class 3 Students: A striking 76% of students in Class 3 could not read a Class 2-level text in their local language. In 2018, 20.9% of Class 3 students could read at a Class 2 level, a number that dropped to 16.3% in 2022. In 2024, this figure has improved slightly to 23.4%. However, the majority of Class 3 students still face challenges in reading basic texts.

·         Class 5 Students: Around 55.2% of Class 5 students could not read a Class 2-level text, which represents minimal improvement from 2018, when 44.2% of Class 5 students were able to read it. By 2024, this figure has slightly improved to 44.8%.

·         Class 8 Students: In Class 8, 32.5% of students were unable to read the Class 2-level text, showing that foundational reading skills are still lacking among older students as well.

Mathematics

In addition to reading, the ASER 2024 survey also tested basic arithmetic skills, where the results reflected a mixed trend with some areas of improvement, but substantial gaps remain.

·         Class 3 Students: Two-thirds of Class 3 students (66%) struggled with simple subtraction problems, demonstrating the continuing challenges in basic numeracy.

·         Class 5 Students: While there was some progress in solving division problems, 69.3% of Class 5 students could not solve them correctly. In 2018, 27.9% of students could solve such problems, a figure that improved slightly to 30.7% in 2024.

·         Class 8 Students: The improvement in basic arithmetic among Class 8 students was marginal, with only a slight increase from 44.1% in 2018 to 45.8% in 2024.

Regional Variations in Performance

The survey also reveals significant regional variations in the improvement of literacy and numeracy levels, with some states showing considerable progress, while others lag behind.

·         Best Performing States: States like Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, Sikkim, and Mizoram reported over a 10% improvement in children’s ability to read a Class 2-level text. This marks a notable recovery, with these regions focusing on improving basic learning outcomes.

·         Moderate Improvement: States like Odisha, Haryana, West Bengal, and Jharkhand saw improvements ranging from 6% to 9.9%, indicating progress but not as significant as that in the top-performing states.

·         Slight Improvement: Himachal Pradesh and Bihar showed more modest improvements, with a 4-5.9% increase in students’ basic literacy skills.

Impact of School Readiness Programs

The ASER 2024 report highlighted the success of school readiness programs in government schools. Over 75% of surveyed government schools implemented a three-month school readiness program for incoming Grade 1 children. These programs, which focus on preparing young learners for formal schooling, have contributed to improved FLN outcomes and are seen as a key factor in the recovery of foundational skills.

Digital Literacy Among Teens

The survey also explored digital literacy among older teenagers (aged 14-16 years), revealing a strong trend toward smartphone usage and online activities.

·         Smartphone Access: A significant 89% of teenagers in this age group had access to smartphones at home, with 31.4% owning their own phones.

·         Educational Use: Of those using smartphones, 57% used them for educational purposes, highlighting the role of digital tools in modern learning.

·         Social Media: 76% of teens also reported using smartphones for browsing social media, which raises questions about the balance between educational and non-educational use of smartphones.

·         Digital Skills: Teenagers displayed high levels of digital literacy, with 92.1% able to share videos on WhatsApp or Telegram, 79.3% capable of browsing for information, and 76.9% able to set alarms. However, there were noticeable gender differences, with boys showing better awareness of safety features on their phones, such as knowing how to block or report profiles and change passwords.