The recently released 17th Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) for 2022 by NGO Pratham has shed light on the effects of the pandemic on the educational landscape in India. The report plays a crucial role in providing significant data insights into government programs such as the Nipun Bharat Mission, majorly focusing on the enrollment of children in schools.
About ASER
The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) is a citizen-led household survey that takes place annually, with its inception in the year 2005. The main objective of this survey is to comprehend the enrollment status and learning ability of children living in rural regions across India.
Marking its prominence as the largest citizen-led survey in India, ASER provides representative estimates of children’s enrollment status between the ages of 3-16. Along with this, it measures the fundamental reading and arithmetic abilities of children aged between 5-16 at national, state, and district levels.
Insights from the ASER 2022 Report
The 2022 ASER report presented several key findings related to student enrollments, learning capabilities, and gender inequality issues in education.
Increasing Enrollments in Government Schools
According to the report, there has been a substantiative increase in the enrollment rate in government schools across India.
Decline in Basic Reading and Arithmetic Skills
Despite the increased enrollment, the report highlighted an unfortunate decline in essential reading and arithmetic skills among young Indian students, particularly those studying in Class 3 and Class 5.
Decreasing Proportion of Unenrolled Girls
A promising development indicated by the report is the decrease in the proportion of girls within the age group of 11-14 not enrolled in schools. From 4.1% in 2018 to 2% in 2022, this significant improvement in the reduction of unenrolled girls signifies the effectiveness of efforts promoting gender equality in education.
Performance Indicators from 2018 to 2022
The report provides performance metrics from 2018 through 2022, which reveal various positive and negative trends in Indian education. For instance, there was a positive trend in overall enrollment, enrollment in government schools, and the percentage of girls enrolled in schools. Contrastingly, negative trends were seen in the reading ability of students, arithmetic skills, and the increasing number of government schools with less than 60 students enrolled.
Improvement in School Infrastructure
The report also shed light on the improvements in school infrastructure over the years, revealing increases in average teacher attendance, availability of usable girls’ toilets, and provision of drinking water in schools.
As one of the largest household surveys in India, the ASER report is instrumental in highlighting the current state of education across the nation. The insights from the report play a crucial role in shaping future government policies and initiatives aimed at improving the education sector.
