ASER Report 2022

About ASER Report

• It is the key annual, citizen-led household national survey that captures the state of foundational literacy and numeracy in the country.
• It aims to understand whether children in rural India are enrolled in school and whether they are learning.
• The survey provides representative estimates of the enrolment status of children aged 3-16 and the basic reading and arithmetic levels of children aged 5-16 at the national, state and district level.
• The survey is led by the Pratham Foundation and the first ASER was conducted in 2005 and repeated annually for ten years.
• ASER 2022 is the first field-based ‘basic’ nationwide ASER after a gap of 4 years. It comes at a time when children are back in school after an extended period of school closure.

About ASER Report 2022 Findings

• Enrolment and attendance
  • Despite school closures during the pandemic, overall enrolment figures have increased from 2018 to 2022.
  • The proportion of children (aged 6 to 14) enrolled in government schools has increased sharply from 2018 to 2022.
  • In 2022, the all-India figure for 11-14-year-old girls not enrolled in school stands at 2%, thereby continuing the falling trend since 2006.
  • The proportion of 3-year-olds enrolled in some form of early childhood education has increased in 2022.
  • Further, nationally, the proportion of children in Std I-VIII taking paid private tuition classes increased from 26.4% in 2018 to 30.5% in 2022.
  • Average teacher attendance increased slightly, from 2018 to 2022, while average student attendance continues to hover at around 72% for the past several years.
• Learning levels
  • Nationally, children’s basic reading ability has dropped to pre-2012 levels, reversing the slow improvement achieved in the intervening years. Drops are visible in both government and private schools in most states, and for both boys and girls.
  • Also, children’s basic arithmetic levels have declined over 2018 levels for most grades.
• School facilities
  • Nationally, small improvements are visible in all Right to Education-related indicators over 2018 levels:
    • fraction of schools with useable girls’ toilets have increased
    • the proportion of schools with drinking water available has increased
    • the proportion of schools with books other than textbooks being used by students has increased
• Paid private tuition classes:
  • Over the past decade, rural India has seen small, steady increases in the proportion of children in Std I-VIII taking paid, private tuition classes.
  • Between 2018 and 2022 this proportion increased further, among students in both government and private schools.
  • Nationally, the proportion of children in Std I-VIII taking paid private tuition classes increased from 26.4% in 2018 to 30.5% in 2022.

Measures by Government to Address Issues

• Elementary Education
  • Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan
  • Mid Day Meal
  • Mahila Samakhya
• Secondary Education
  • Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan
  • Girls Hostel Scheme
  • National Scheme of Incentives to Girls for Secondary Education
  • Inclusive Education for Disabled at Secondary Stage
  • Scheme of Vocational Education
  • National Merit-cum-Means Scholarship Scheme
  • Scheme for construction and running of Girls’ Hostel for students of secondary and higher secondary schools
  • Scholarship schemes for Minority students
  • National Scholarships

Issues/Challenges that Needs Action

• Lack of Resources: In India, the expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP is 3.1% of GDP, as against the target of 6% in NEP 2020.
• Bias towards English language: Focus on the English language has hampered the learning abilities of children in regional locations.
• Lack of Practical experiences: Neglecting practical experience, and prioritising theoretical knowledge.
• Teacher numbers: Inadequate Teacher to student Ratio.

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