30-January-2025-Editorial

ANNUAL STATUS OF EDUCATION REPORT (ASER) 2024

The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2024, conducted by the Pratham Foundation, provides valuable insights into the learning outcomes and education trends in rural India.

The survey covered 17,997 villages across 605 rural districts, reaching approximately 649,491 children in the 3-16 age group.

It evaluated the basic reading and arithmetic skills of over 500,000 children from the age group of 5-16 years. ASER tracks various aspects of education, including enrollment trends, learning outcomes, and digital literacy.

Purpose and focus of ASER Survey

National Citizen-Led Survey: ASER is a nationwide survey conducted by citizens that offers a snapshot of children’s learning and schooling in rural India.

Focus Areas:

• Enrollment Trends: ASER tracks the enrollment status in schools and preschools, highlighting improvements and challenges.
• Learning Outcomes: It assesses children’s skills in basic reading and arithmetic, which reflect their progress in primary and secondary education.
• Digital Literacy: ASER 2024 also evaluates older children’s skills in smartphone usage, including browsing, messaging, and setting alarms.

Key Findings of ASER 2024

Pre-Primary Education (Ages 3-5 Years):

• Enrollment Growth: Enrollment in pre-primary education has been steadily rising since 2018. For example, the enrollment of 3-year-olds increased from 68.1% in 2018 to 77.4% in 2024.
• Institutional Providers: Over half of 3-4-year-olds are enrolled in Anganwadis, and about one-third of 5-year-olds attend private preschools or schools.

Elementary Education (Ages 6-14 Years):

• Enrollment Trends: Overall, enrollment slightly decreased from 98.4% in 2022 to 98.1% in 2024. Government school enrollment fell from 72.9% to 66.8%.

Reading and Arithmetic Skills:

• 4% of children in Grade III could read a Grade II-level text, up from 16.3% in 2022.
• 8% of Grade VIII students could solve basic arithmetic problems.
• Arithmetic abilities saw more improvement than reading, with government schools showing faster progress compared to private schools.

Older Children (Ages 15-16 Years):

• Dropout Rate: The dropout rate for children aged 15-16 years decreased from 13.1% in 2018 to 7.9% in 2024, with girls having a slightly higher dropout rate.

Smartphone Access and Use:

• 90% of children in the age group of 14-16 have access to smartphones, with boys using them more frequently than girls.
• Digital usage is widespread, with 82.2% of children using smartphones, and 57% using them for educational purposes.

School Observations:

• Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN): Over 80% of schools are implementing FLN activities, with 75% of teachers in these schools receiving FLN training.
• Attendance: Student attendance improved from 72.4% in 2018 to 75.9% in 2024. Teacher attendance also increased from 85.1% to 87.5%.
• School Facilities: Improvements include better access to girls’ toilets, drinking water, and increased use of non-textbook books by students. However, playground availability remained stable at 66%.

State-Level Disparities:

• Learning outcomes showed significant variation across states, particularly post-pandemic. Reading skills in Grade III were lower than pre-pandemic levels in over half of the states, though arithmetic improved in almost all.

Challenges in Elementary Education

Infrastructure Issues:

• Over 1.52 lakh schools lack functional electricity, hindering the use of technology in classrooms.
• Many schools lack functional toilets, particularly government-run schools.
• A significant portion of schools does not have disabled-friendly facilities.

Technological Limitations:

• Less than half (43.5%) of government schools have computers for teaching, compared to a higher proportion (70.9%) in private schools.
• Limited access to digital resources, especially in rural schools, hampers learning opportunities.

Teacher-Student Ratio:

• A number of schools have a poor teacher-student ratio, with a significant number of schools having just one teacher for the entire student body.

Social and Language Barriers:

• Social divides, including caste, gender, and rural-urban differences, affect the quality of education.
• A shortage of textbooks in regional languages limits educational access for students not proficient in Hindi or English.

Government Initiatives to Address Educational Challenges

• National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL): Promotes online learning and the integration of technology in education.
• Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA): Aimed at universalizing elementary education with a focus on quality and inclusion.
• PRAGYATA: Provides guidelines for digital education in schools.
• Mid Day Meal Scheme: Aims to improve the nutritional status of children and boost school enrollment.
• Beti Bachao Beti Padhao: Focuses on educating girls and promoting gender equality.
• PM SHRI Schools: Offers a model for developing and strengthening school infrastructure.
• National Education Policy (NEP) 2020: Focuses on restructuring the education system and making it more inclusive and accessible.

Way Forward

Early Intervention:

• Focus on increasing retention rates among socio-economically disadvantaged groups.
• Provide flexible, part-time education for children needing to assist at home or work.

Improve Accountability:

• Establish District School Boards for better local education planning.
• Increase the number of school inspectors to improve the quality of education.

Access to Schools:

• Ensure that schools are within walking distance (1 km) in rural and tribal areas.

Parental Education:

• Educate parents on the importance of schooling, especially for girls, and its long-term benefits.

Conclusion

The ASER 2024 report highlights both the progress and challenges in India’s educational landscape. While enrollment and learning outcomes have improved, there remain significant infrastructure and social challenges. The findings provide valuable data for policymakers to further enhance the quality of education, reduce disparities, and strengthen the education system in rural India.