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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.
ASER Report
ASER Report

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.
ASER Report 2022 Findings
ASER Report 2022 Findings

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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What is 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.