The non-governmental organization Pratham, in its 13th Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), presents an all-encompassing survey that assesses children’s schooling and learning across rural India. ASER 2018 stands as a national household survey that offers valuable insights into education by evaluating children aged 3 to 16.
Schooling Levels: Enrollment and Attendance
The report discovered that overall enrollment for children aged 6 to 14 was over 95% since 2017, with the rate of children not attending school declining to 2.8% in 2018. Furthermore, the number of girls aged 11 to 14 not attending school fell to 4.1% from 10.3% in 2006. The report also touched on private school enrollment, highlighting that the percentage of children (age 6-14) enrolled in private schools was almost consistent at 30.9% in 2018 compared to 30.6% in 2016.
Learning Levels: Foundational Skills in Reading and Arithmetic
Delving into foundational skills in reading and arithmetic, the report found that the percentage of children in Std III capable of reading at Std II level increased from 21.6% in 2013 to 27.2% in 2018. Meanwhile, approximately 50.3% of students in Std V could read a Std II level text—an increase from 47.9% in 2016. The ability of children in Std III to perform subtraction showed little change, with the figure being 28.1% in 2018 compared to 27.6% in 2016. The proportion of students in Std V who could perform division increased slightly from 26% to 27.8% over the same period.
| Level | 2016% | 2018% |
|---|---|---|
| Std III Reading | 21.6 | 27.2 |
| Std V Reading | 47.9 | 50.3 |
| Std III Arithmetic | 27.6 | 28.1 |
| Std V Arithmetic | 26 | 27.8 |
‘Beyond Basics’ Learning Levels
ASER 2018 posed a few practical tasks to children aged 14 to 16, such as calculating time, determining quantities, comparing prices, and computing discounts. The results revealed that of those who could solve numerical division problems, less than half could correctly perform time calculations, and just about 52% could apply unitary methods in real-world scenarios.
Teacher and Student Attendance
Attendance remained relatively stable at the national level for both teachers (around 85%) and students (approximately 72%). The report also noted significant improvements in the availability of facilities mandated by the Right to Education (RTE), including usable girls’ toilets and extra-textbook reading materials.
The Right To Education (RTE) Act
As an essential legislative piece, the RTE Act mandates free and compulsory education for all children aged 6 to 14. Effectively implemented since April 1, 2010, as part of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), the act is supported by independent bodies like the National and State Commissions for Protection of Child Rights.
Physical Education and Sports Facilities
ASER 2018 introduced questions related to sports infrastructure, revealing that about 80% of schools had a playground accessible to students, either within the school campus or nearby. However, physical education teachers were scarce, with only 5.8% of primary schools and 30.8% of upper primary schools having one.
Annual Status of Education Report (ASER)
Covering nearly all rural districts in India, ASER 2018 provides district, state, and national estimates of foundational reading and arithmetic skills among children aged 5 to 16. The report uses Census 2011 as its sampling frame and aligns with the ‘basic’ model followed in ASER 2016, It also draws on insights from ASER ‘Beyond Basics’ 2017, which focused on youth aged 14 to 18 in 28 Indian districts.
