ASER 2022: ASER Report flags widening learning gaps

Source: The post is based on the article “ASER Report flags widening learning gaps” published in The Hindu on 19th January 2023.

What is the News?

Annual Status of Education Report(ASER) 2022 has been released by Pratham, a non-governmental organization.

What is the ASER?

ASER is a household survey conducted across 616 rural districts covering 6.9 lakh children in the three-to-16 age group to record their schooling status and assess their basic reading and arithmetic skills. 

The report is being brought out after four years and records the impact of school closures in 2020 and 2021 as well as the return to school of children in 2022. 

What are the key findings of ASER 2022?

Increase in school enrollment: Despite the prolonged closure of schools, the overall enrollment in schools across the country has increased at all levels, with 98.4% in the age group of 6-14 years currently enrolled in schools. The figure stood at 97.2% in 2018.

Girl’s enrollment increased: The proportion of girls not enrolled in schools has also reduced across age groups. For girls aged 11-14, this share dropped from 4.1% in 2018 to 2% in 2022.

Drop in Learning levels: Between 2014 and 2018, learning levels in terms of foundational skills in reading and arithmetic had been rising gradually. For example, the proportion of Class 3 students who could read a Class 2 textbook had gone up from 23.6% in 2014 to 27.2% in 2018, while those who could do at least subtraction rose from 25.3% to 28.2%.

– However, in 2022, the basic reading ability of children in Class 3 dipped by 6.8% points from 2018 and the proportion of children in Class 3 who could do at least subtraction fell to 25.9% in 2022.

– Clearly, the pandemic has resulted in a learning loss. However, the loss is much greater in reading as compared to arithmetic.

Increase in children availing private tuitions: A small, steady increase in the proportion of children availing private tuitions. Between 2018 and 2022, this proportion increased further – from 26.4% to 30.5%.

Enrollment in government schools: The percentage of children aged 11 to 14 who are enrolled in government schools has risen from 65% in 2018 to 71.7% in 2022.

– This phenomenon can be attributed to several factors, including job losses and the closure of budget private schools in rural areas during the pandemic.