Student numbers go up in govt schools, but learning levels come down: Survey
Pratham's ninth Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) released on Wednesday shows that school education in rural India is a mixed bag of improving parameters like enrolment and compliance to Right to Education norms but declining learning outcomes.
Released by Planning Commission deputy chairperson Montek Singh Ahluwalia amid the usual festive fervour and wide-eyed surveyors recounting their discovery-of-India kind of experiences, ASER said over 96% of all rural children in the age group of 6 to 14 were going to school. There was further good news as proportion of girls in the age group of 11 to 14 not enrolled in schools dropped from 6% in 2012 to 5.5% in 2013.
Uttar Pradesh made the biggest progress as the percentage dropped from 11.5% in 2012 to 9.4% in 2013. However, patriarchal Rajasthan remains a cause for worry as the proportion of out of school girls -- aged 11 to 14 - rose for the second consecutive year, from 8.9% in 2011 to 11.2% in 2012 to 12.1% in 2013.
Though ASER pointed to poor learning level of children, there was almost negligible increase in enrolment in private schools; 29% in 2013 to 28.3% in 2012. There were wide variations in private school enrolment, ASER said. For instance, in Manipur and Kerala, more than two-thirds of all children in the 6 to 14 age group were enrolled in private schools, while less than 10% were in private schools in Tripura (6.7%), West Bengal (7%), and Bihar (8.4%).
But the prevalence of private tuition was on the rise across India. In Tripura, more than 60% of children in class I-V took private tuition and in West Bengal, it was over 70%. States like Bihar (52.2%), Odisha (51.2%) and Manipur (38.9%) also had high incidence of children taking private tuition.
For the first time, ASER measured the amount families spend on private tuition and found that 68.4% of class I-V government school children who went to private tutors paid Rs 100 or less per month. Among private school students of class I-V, 36.7% paid Rs 100 or less per month and the same proportion paid Rs 101 to Rs 200 per month for private tuition.
But learning outcome was a cause for worry. Disregarding robust National Achievement Survey of NCERT, ASER claimed to be the only one that mapped learning level. The report said nationally, the proportion of class III students who could read at least a class I level paragraph had risen slightly from 38.8% in 2012 to 40.2% in 2013.
ASER claimed the increase was mainly on account of improvement among private school children. Among class III students in government schools, the proportion who could read class I text remained unchanged from 2012 at 32%. Class III students of Jammu & Kashmir and Punjab showed steady improvement in reading ability.
Proportion of class V children who could read class II level text remained static since 2012 at 47%. In 2009, the proportion was 52.8%. Class V government school children who could read class II text declined from 50.3% in 2009 to 41.1% in 2013. More than 60% class V government school students of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Mizoram and Kerala could read class II texts.
In arithmetic, 18.9% of class III students in government schools could do basic subtraction or more, compared to 44.6% of class III students in private schools. ASER claimed that in 2010, 33.2% children in class III in government schools could do subtraction but since then, there has been a gradual decline.
Also, the proportion of class V students who could solve a three digit by one digit division problem increased slightly, from 24.9% in 2012 to 25.6%. Among class V children in government schools, 20.8% could do this level of division in 2013. In private schools, this figure was 38.9%. But in Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Mizoram, more than 40% government school children could do three digit by one digit division problems.
Pratham's ninth Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) released on Wednesday shows that school education in rural India is a mixed bag of improving parameters like enrolment and compliance to Right to Education norms but declining learning outcomes.
Released by Planning Commission deputy chairperson Montek Singh Ahluwalia amid the usual festive fervour and wide-eyed surveyors recounting their discovery-of-India kind of experiences, ASER said over 96% of all rural children in the age group of 6 to 14 were going to school. There was further good news as proportion of girls in the age group of 11 to 14 not enrolled in schools dropped from 6% in 2012 to 5.5% in 2013.
Uttar Pradesh made the biggest progress as the percentage dropped from 11.5% in 2012 to 9.4% in 2013. However, patriarchal Rajasthan remains a cause for worry as the proportion of out of school girls -- aged 11 to 14 - rose for the second consecutive year, from 8.9% in 2011 to 11.2% in 2012 to 12.1% in 2013.
Though ASER pointed to poor learning level of children, there was almost negligible increase in enrolment in private schools; 29% in 2013 to 28.3% in 2012. There were wide variations in private school enrolment, ASER said. For instance, in Manipur and Kerala, more than two-thirds of all children in the 6 to 14 age group were enrolled in private schools, while less than 10% were in private schools in Tripura (6.7%), West Bengal (7%), and Bihar (8.4%).
But the prevalence of private tuition was on the rise across India. In Tripura, more than 60% of children in class I-V took private tuition and in West Bengal, it was over 70%. States like Bihar (52.2%), Odisha (51.2%) and Manipur (38.9%) also had high incidence of children taking private tuition.
For the first time, ASER measured the amount families spend on private tuition and found that 68.4% of class I-V government school children who went to private tutors paid Rs 100 or less per month. Among private school students of class I-V, 36.7% paid Rs 100 or less per month and the same proportion paid Rs 101 to Rs 200 per month for private tuition.
But learning outcome was a cause for worry. Disregarding robust National Achievement Survey of NCERT, ASER claimed to be the only one that mapped learning level. The report said nationally, the proportion of class III students who could read at least a class I level paragraph had risen slightly from 38.8% in 2012 to 40.2% in 2013.
ASER claimed the increase was mainly on account of improvement among private school children. Among class III students in government schools, the proportion who could read class I text remained unchanged from 2012 at 32%. Class III students of Jammu & Kashmir and Punjab showed steady improvement in reading ability.
Proportion of class V children who could read class II level text remained static since 2012 at 47%. In 2009, the proportion was 52.8%. Class V government school children who could read class II text declined from 50.3% in 2009 to 41.1% in 2013. More than 60% class V government school students of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Mizoram and Kerala could read class II texts.
In arithmetic, 18.9% of class III students in government schools could do basic subtraction or more, compared to 44.6% of class III students in private schools. ASER claimed that in 2010, 33.2% children in class III in government schools could do subtraction but since then, there has been a gradual decline.
Also, the proportion of class V students who could solve a three digit by one digit division problem increased slightly, from 24.9% in 2012 to 25.6%. Among class V children in government schools, 20.8% could do this level of division in 2013. In private schools, this figure was 38.9%. But in Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Mizoram, more than 40% government school children could do three digit by one digit division problems.
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