The 16th Annual Status of Education Report (ASER 2021), a recent release, is causing a stir in the educational community. The survey dives deep into the effects of Covid-19 on learning, illustrating a rise in the reliance on private tuitions and highlighting the persistent lack of ready access to smartphones among many students. The data signals that strategic efforts are urgently required to recuperate learning losses, particularly in the lower classes.
About the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) Survey
Facilitated by the Pratham Education Foundation, the ASER survey enjoys the distinction of being the country’s most senior survey of its kind. The survey has gained widespread respect for offering a comprehensive analysis of fundamental learning at the elementary level. The 2011 Census serves as the sampling frame for this crucial national information source about children’s foundational skills across the country.
Recent iterations of the ASER study have provided valuable perspectives on various aspects of learning and education in the country. For instance, ASER 2018 included almost all rural districts in India and shed light on the foundational reading and arithmetic abilities of children aged 5 to 16 years. ASER 2019 focused on the “early years,” prioritising the development of problem-solving faculties over content knowledge. Meanwhile, ASER 2020, the first-ever phone-based ASER survey, was conducted six months into the national school closures caused by the pandemic.
Key Findings from ASER 2021
ASER 2021 revealed a few significant trends. There was an extraordinary surge in government school enrolments, reaching a decade-long low in private school admissions. Evidence suggested a clear shift from private to government schools during the pandemic period.
The survey also pointed to a growing dependence on private tuition classes, especially among students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. A stark digital divide was evident, with almost a third of all children in Classes I and II lacking access to a smartphone at home.
Pandemic-induced barriers have disproportionately affected the youngest entrants in India’s formal education system. For these children, the lack of pre-primary class or anganwadis experience, coupled with limited access to digital devices, has been particularly challenging. ASER 2021 reported that one in three children in Classes I and II had never attended an in-person class.
Teachers identified the difficulty of students “catching up” as one of their most significant challenges, with now 65.4% raising this concern. Unless urgently addressed, experts warn this issue is likely to adversely impact learning outcomes.
Encouraging Trends: Lower Drop-Out Rates
Despite the challenges, ASER 2021 documented some positive trends. The number of out-of-school children in the high-risk 15-16 age group witnessed a considerable decline. This marked shift is largely attributed to the government’s push for universal secondary education.
Government Initiatives in Response to the Learning Crisis
Several government initiatives are already underway to offset the pandemic’s negative effects on education. These include SWAYAM, National Achievement Test (NEAT), National Knowledge Network (NKN), PRAGYATA Guidelines, and the National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning.
Strategies for Moving Forward
The path ahead calls for a multi-pronged approach, including flexible rescheduling of the academic timetable and collaboration among schools, teachers, and parents to expand education access. At the same time, priority should be given to disadvantaged students without e-learning access.
Online education needs to become more effective, with a focus on shorter, quality discussions over lengthy monotonous sessions. Additionally, educators’ roles must extend beyond classroom control towards facilitating knowledge transfer.
Finally, rather than focusing solely on competence, we should re-emphasize the importance of motivation in education. The goal should be to help students to discover, not simply cover, the syllabus.
Sources: IE