ASER 2024 and Elementary Education

• 29 Jan 2025

For Prelims: NGO, Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), Anganwadi, Digital Literacy, Elementary Education, National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, PM SHRI Schools. 

For Mains: Findings of Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2024, Concerns related to elementary education and way forward. 

Source: HT 

Why in News? 

The NGO Pratham Foundation released the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2024 on learning outcomes of school students in rural India. 

• It is based on a 2024 survey conducted in 17,997 villages across 605 rural districts.  
• It reached 649,491 children in the 3-16 years age group, and tested the reading and arithmetic skills of over 500,000 children in the 5-16 years age group. 

What is ASER? 

• About: ASER is a nationwide, citizen-led household survey that offers an insightful snapshot of children's schooling and learning in rural India.  
  • Launched in 2005, ASER tracks educational trends and challenges in rural areas, evolving in coverage, focus, and frequency. 
• Focus Areas:  
  • Enrollment: ASER tracks school and preschool enrollment trends, highlighting improvements and challenges by state and age group. 
  • Learning Outcomes: It assesses basic reading and arithmetic skills, showing children’s progress at primary and secondary levels. 
  • Digital Literacy: ASER 2024 evaluates older children's smartphone skills, including tasks like setting alarms, browsing, and messaging. 

What are the Key Findings of the Report? 

• Pre-primary (Age Group 3-5 Years): 
  • Enrollment: Enrollment in pre-primary institutions (Anganwadi, government pre-primary class, or private LKG/UKG) has steadily increased since 2018.   
    • E.g., Enrollment of 3-year-olds rose from 68.1% in 2018 to 77.4% in 2024. 
  • Pre-primary Institutions: Anganwadi centres are the main provider of pre-primary education, enrolling over half of 3-4-year-olds, while one-third of 5-year-olds attend private schools or preschools. 
• Elementary (Age Group 6-14 Years): 
  • Overall Enrollment: Enrollment dropped slightly from 98.4% in 2022 to 98.1% in 2024, with government school enrollment declining from 72.9% to 66.8%. 
  • Reading and Arithmetic Skills: In 2024, 23.4% of Standard (Std) III children in government schools could read Std II-level text, up from 16.3% in 2022. 
    • In 2024, 45.8% of Std VIII students could solve basic arithmetic problems, showing slight improvement. 
    • Arithmetic abilities improved more than reading skills, with government schools showing faster progress than private schools. 
• Older Children (Age Group 15-16 Years): 
  • Enrollment: The dropout rate for 15-16-year-olds decreased from 13.1% in 2018 to 7.9% in 2024, with girls at a higher rate of 8.1%. 
  • Smartphone Access and Usage (Digital Literacy): 
    • Access: Nearly 90% of 14-16-year-olds have smartphone access, with boys (85.5%) using them more than girls (79.4%). 
    • Ownership: 27% of 14-year-olds and 37.8% of 16-year-olds own smartphones. 
    • Use: 82.2% of children use smartphones, with 57% for education and 76% for social media. 
    • Digital Safety: 62% of children know how to block/report profiles, and 55.2% know how to make profiles private. 
• School Observations:  
  • Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN): Over 80% of schools implemented FLN activities, with at least one teacher in 75% of these schools receiving FLN training. 
  • Attendance: Student attendance increased from 72.4% in 2018 to 75.9% in 2024, and teacher attendance increased from 85.1% to 87.5%. 
  • School Facilities: There were slight improvements in the availability of basic school facilities: 
    • Usable girls' toilets increased from 66.4% in 2018 to 72% in 2024. 
    • Drinking water availability rose from 74.8% to 77.7%. 
    • The use of non-textbook books (e.g., novels, short stories, folk tales) by students increased from 36.9% to 51.3%. 
    • The percentage of schools with playgrounds remained stable at around 66%. 
  • Difference in Outcome: There are significant state-level differences in learning outcomes and improvement since the Covid-19 pandemic.  
    • In Std III, reading ability lagged behind 2018 levels in over half the states, but arithmetic improved in all but six. 
    • In Std V and VIII, many states did not reach pre-pandemic levels, even in arithmetic. 

What is Elementary Education? 

• About: Elementary Education is the foundation of the entire educational system, typically beginning at the age of six.  
  • It marks the start of formal education, crucial for a child's physical, mental, emotional, intellectual, and social development. 
• Significance:  
  • Foundation for Future Learning: It provides core skills (reading, writing, math, problem-solving) essential for higher education and careers. 
  • Development of Social Skills: Children learn teamwork, communication, and empathy through peer and teacher interactions. 
  • Personal and Emotional Growth: It builds self-confidence and motivation, allowing children to explore their potential and creativity. 
  • Promotion of Motor Skills: Activities like sports and creative expression develop fine and gross motor skills. 
  • Building Social Awareness: Children learn hygiene, social responsibilities, and civic duties, fostering informed future citizens. 
  • Long-Term Economic Impact: Investment in elementary education drives economic growth, innovation, and productivity. 
• Challenges: 
  • Poor School Infrastructure: Of over 14.71 lakh schools in India, 1.52 lakh lack functional electricity, hindering the use of technology like computers and the internet in teaching. 
    • 67,000 schools, including 46,000 government-run, lack functional toilets. Only 3.37 lakh government schools (33.2%) have disabled-friendly toilets, with less than a third being functional. 
  • Limited Access to Technology: Only 43.5% of government schools have computers for teaching, compared to 70.9% in private, unaided schools. 
  • Poor Teacher Student Ratio: India has nearly lakh schools with just one teacher each. 
  • Social Divides: Social divides, such as caste-class, rural-urban, religious, and gender disparities, affect the quality of education. 
  • Language Barriers:The lack of textbooks and materials in regional languages limits education access for those not proficient in Hindi/English medium of instruction. 

What are the Government Initiatives Related to Education? 

• National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning 
• Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan 
• PRAGYATA 
• Mid Day Meal Scheme 
• Beti Bachao Beti Padhao 
• PM SHRI Schools 
• National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 

Way Forward 

• Early Intervention: Immediate interventions should be made to increase retention by focusing on socio-economically disadvantaged groups. 
  • Introduce flexible, part-time education to accommodate children who need to work or assist at home. 
• Literacy for Non-Enrolled Children: Launch supplementary literacy programs for children who have dropped out or missed school.  
• Improve Accountability: Establish District School Boards for local educational planning and development. Increase school inspectors to enhance oversight and education quality. 
• Provision of Schools: Ensure school access within 1 km (walking distance) by establishing more schools in rural and tribal areas. 
• Parental Education: Launch campaigns to educate parents on the importance of education, particularly for girls, and how education can improve their children’s future. 

Drishti Mains Question: 

Discuss the state of elementary education in India? What structural and policy changes are needed to strengthen elementary education in India?

UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Question (PYQ) 

Prelims

Q. Which of the following provisions of the Constitution of India have a bearing on Education? (2012) 

1. Directive Principles of State Policy
2. Rural and Urban Local Bodies
3. Fifth Schedule
4. Sixth Schedule
5. Seventh Schedule

Select the correct answer using the codes given below: 

(a) 1 and 2 only  

(b) 3, 4 and 5 only 

(c) 1, 2 and 5 only  

(d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 

Ans: (d)

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Mains 

Q1. Discuss the main objectives of Population Education and point out the measures to achieve them in India in detail. (2021) 

Q2. How have digital initiatives in India contributed to the functioning of the education system in the country? Elaborate on your answer. (2020)