Syllabus: GS-III;
Subject: Social Justice;
Topic: Issues relating to the development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Education.
Tags: #ASER2023#DigitalLiteracy#STEM#VocationalTraining#Educational Enrollment.
Context: Rural Indian youth struggle with basic skills; ASER 2023 finds that 25% can’t read, and 56.7% can’t solve simple division.
Issue: ASER Report.
Synopsis:
Highlights of the Report:
- Conducted in 28 districts across 26 states, involving 34,745 students.
- Assessed foundational reading, arithmetic abilities, and digital awareness.
- More than half (50%) of 14-18 year-olds in rural India struggle with basic three-digit division, typically taught in Class 3-4.
- Reading Skills:
- 5% of the surveyed youth could not read a Class 2-level textbook in their regional language.
- 7% struggled to read sentences in English.
- 5% of those who could read did not understand the meaning.
- Mathematics Challenges:
- 7% of students could not solve a simple 3-digit by 1-digit division problem.
- Application of Skills:
- Only around 45% could calculate the number of hours a child slept based on bedtime and waking time.
- In measuring an object with a ruler, 85% were correct at the ‘0’ mark, but only 40% gave the right answer when the object was moved.
- Gender Disparities:
- Boys generally outperformed girls in basic numeracy and reading skills.
- For example, 45% of boys could divide compared to 41.8% of girls.
- Educational Enrollment:
- Despite poor foundational skills, 86.8% of youth aged 14-18 are enrolled in educational institutions.
- This challenges the concern that older children might drop out during the pandemic.
- Stream Preferences:
- 7% of youth were enrolled in Arts/Humanities, 31.7% in STEM, and 9.4% in Commerce. More males (36.3%) enrolled in STEM than females (28.1%).
- Technology Access:
- 89% of surveyed youth had smartphones in their households, and 92% knew how to use them. Indicates a significant shift in technology adoption, especially during the pandemic.
Conclusion:
Emphasizes the need for foundational learning and life skills for both academic advancement and daily life. Urges attention to quality education to harness India’s demographic dividend for economic growth.
