Pratham, a non-governmental organization, has published its Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2019, highlighting worrying trends in learning outcomes among students in rural districts of India. This report focuses predominantly on the crucial “early years” of education, putting emphasis on developing children’s problem-solving faculties and memory rather than mere content knowledge.
Defining ‘Early Years’
The term ‘early years’ is universally defined as ranging from infancy to eight years of age, and it signifies a vital stage in human development. During this period, there is rapid cognitive, motor, social, and emotional growth, forming the foundation for future learning. The ASER 2019 evaluates children’s performance based on four key competencies that predict future success: Cognitive Development, Early Language Proficiency, Early Numeracy, and Social and Emotional Development.
Key Findings of the ASER Report 2019
The report advocates a shift in focus from subject-based learning to honing cognitive skills during the early years, asserting it could significantly improve basic literacy and numeracy skills. Various cognitive skill tests revealed that 52% of the children who correctly completed all three tasks could read words while 63% could solve simple addition problems. It implies that a spotlight on play-based activities enhancing memory, reasoning, and problem-solving abilities could be more fruitful than an early focus on content knowledge.
Reading and Early Childhood Education
Unfortunately, only 16% of first-grade students can read at the prescribed level, and about 40% cannot even recognize letters. However, early childhood education holds the potential to function as the greatest equalizer. Research shows that 90% of brain growth occurs by the age of five, highlighting how critical early education is in influencing a child’s long-term development and schooling.
Disparity in Learning Outcomes
A notable disparity exists between private and government schools. Nearly 42% of six-year-olds in the first grade of private schools could read words compared to just 19% from government schools, a gap which is further widened by gender disparities. At the same time, over a quarter of first-grade students in government schools are below the recommended age, situation that leads to struggle in skills acquisition.
Concerns Raised by Draft New Education Policy (NEP), 2019
| Nearly 50 million children lack foundational literacy and numeracy skills. | School readiness or early childhood development and education activities are not well prioritized. |
|---|---|
| Many children enter school before the recommended age of six, attributed to the lack of affordable pre-schooling options. | Children from low-income families face numerous challenges – deficiency in healthcare and nutrition on one hand and an absence of supportive learning environment on the other. |
The ASER Surveys
The ASER surveys, which use the Census 2011 as the sampling frame, are a significant national source of information about children’s foundational skills across India. Over the years, ASER has shifted to an alternate-year cycle where ‘basic’ ASERs occur every other year (2016, 2018, and next in 2020); and in alternating years ASER focuses on a different aspect of children’s schooling and learning.
Way Forward
There is an urgent need to expand Anganwadi’s outreach to three and four-year-old children and to strengthen the early childhood components in the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) system. It is also necessary to revamp the curriculum and activities for children aged 4-8 across all types of preschools and early grades, irrespective of the provider. The 10th anniversary of the Right to Education (RTE) Act in 2020 presents an opportunity to prioritize the youngest cohorts to ensure they receive a solid foundation for their education.