Page 44 - EW February 2025_Neat

Cover Story

ASER 2024: STATUS QUO ANTE

s we go to press, the Pratham Education Founda- The over-long closure of India’s schools during the Co-
Ation released its Annual Status of Education Report vid-19 pandemic (2020-21) averaging 82 weeks was stri-
(ASER) 2024 (pertaining to 2023) on January 30. The re- dently protested by EducationWorld (see.https://www.
port assesses the learning outcomes of 5-16 year-old chil- educationworld.in/why-indias-schools-should-reopen-
dren in basic reading (in their own vernacular languages) right-now/) to no avail and the issue of remedial education
and arithmetic. To compile ASER 2024, 650,000 children has been substantially fudged.
in 605 rural districts across 26 states and two Union ter- Children’s learning outcomes as reported by ASER 2024
ritories were tested by 25,557 Pratham volunteers (mainly indicate that they have barely recovered to pre-pandemic
college students and DIET officials). levels.

Std V: % children who can read std II texts Std V: % children who can do division sums

Govt Pvt All Govt Pvt All
2014 42.2 62.6 48 2014 20.7 39.3 26.1
2016 41.7 63 47.9 2016 21.1 38 26

2018 44.2 65.1 50.5 2018 22.7 39.8 27.9
2020 38.5 56.8 42.8 2020 21.6 38.7 25.6
2024 44.8 59.3 48.8 2024 26.5 41.8 30.7

Five worst performing states in reading Five worst performing states in arithmetic

The percentage of std V children in government schools The proportion of std V children in government schools who
who could read a std Il level text could correctly solve a division problem (3-digit + 1-digit)

Jammu & Kashmir 21.8%
Nagaland 27.1% Assam 12%

Arunachal Pradesh 27.5% Rajasthan 12.3%
Telangana 29.3% Kerala 12.4%
Karnataka 32.8% Nagaland 12.7%

Assam 32.8% Gujarat 13.1%
Source: ASER 2024

and the London School of Econom- On closer reading, UDISE+ 2023- education (Centre plus states) being
ics, chair of education economics and 24 clearly reveals the glaring infra- increased forthwith — from the mean
international development at Univer- structure deficit and mis-governance average of 3.5 percent of GDP of the
sity College London and incumbent of the great majority of India’s 1.47 past 75 years — to 6 percent as recom-
President, City Montessori School, million schools constitutionally mended by the high-powered Kothari
Lucknow, which has a massive enrol- obliged to provide meaningful and Commission way back in 1967.
ment of 62,000 students distributed enabling education to 248 million This recommendation (routinely
over 15 campuses in Lucknow, and is students, the world’s largest cohort of endorsed by the election manifestos
routinely ranked Uttar Pradesh’s #1 school-going children. Well-aware of of all major political parties but never
co-ed day school in the annual Edu- this reality, ab initio your editors have redeemed) has been supported every
cationWorld India School Rankings. been pressing for the annual outlay for year by a unique EducationWorld

44 EDUCATIONWORLD FEBRUARY 2025