30th January 2025 (8 Topics)
1
Jan
2
Jan
3
Jan
4
Jan
6
Jan
7
Jan
8
Jan
9
Jan
10
Jan
11
Jan
13
Jan
14
Jan
15
Jan
16
Jan
17
Jan
18
Jan
20
Jan
21
Jan
22
Jan
23
Jan
24
Jan
25
Jan
27
Jan
28
Jan
29
Jan
30
Jan
31
Jan
Bridge Learning Gaps
You must be logged in to get greater insights. click here to login
Context
The latest Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2024 offers an in-depth analysis of the state of school education in rural India, revealing both improvements and concerns. The report highlights gains in reading and basic arithmetic skills, but continued challenges such as learning gaps, a shift to private schools, and gender disparities in digital literacy.
Key Findings from the ASER 2024 Report:
- Government School Enrolment Decline: Enrolment in government schools for children aged 6-14 has dropped from 72.9% in 2022 to 66.8% in 2024, a clear sign of decreased trust in the public education system. This reflects a shift toward private schools, likely due to the perceived better quality of education.
- Gender Gap in Digital Literacy: Although 90% of boys and girls have access to smartphones at home, there is a significant ownership gap: 36.2% of boys own a smartphone compared to only 26.9% of girls. This disparity is prevalent across all states, underlining the gender divide in digital access.
- Learning Gaps in Rural Students: The report highlights that many rural students still struggle with basic skills: 76% of class 3 students and 55.2% of class 5 students cannot read at a class 2 level, and 42% of rural students face challenges in English proficiency. These gaps are exacerbated by a shortage of teachers and basic amenities.
Improvements and Teacher-Student Attendance Trends:
- Teacher and Student Attendance Improvements: There has been a steady improvement in both teacher and student attendance in government schools. Student attendance has risen from 72.4% in 2018 to 75.9% in 2024, while teacher attendance has improved from 85.1% to 87.5% during the same period.
- Digital Literacy in Rural Children: The ASER 2024 report also assessed digital literacy in rural areas, showing that while 82.2% of children can use smartphones, only 57% use them for educational purposes. Despite high smartphone access, there remains a significant digital usage gap in terms of educational engagement.
- Cybersecurity Awareness Among Boys and Girls: The report reveals that boys demonstrate a higher awareness of cybersecurity, with 62% of boys aware of how to block or report profiles compared to 55.2% of girls. This difference in digital safety knowledge is consistent across most states.
Practice Question:
Q. Despite improvements in basic educational indicators, rural India continues to face significant challenges in school education, particularly in terms of learning gaps and digital literacy. Discuss the key findings of the ASER 2024 report and suggest policy measures to address the ongoing issues in the rural education system.
More Articles
Courses
Study
Notes
Home
Resources
More
