The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) is a pivotal citizen-led household survey, offering insights into the schooling and learning status of rural Indian children. Initiated in 2005 by NGO Pratham, the 'basic' ASER survey, conducted annually until 2014 and biennially since 2016, assesses the enrollment in school for children in the age group of 3 to 16 and foundational abilities in reading and arithmetic of children aged 5 to 16.
In 2017, ASER expanded its focus with the 'Beyond Basics' edition, examining the activities, awareness, abilities, and aspirations of youth aged 14 to 18 in 28 districts. ASER 2023 'Beyond Basics' revisits this group, capturing data on familiar indicators while also exploring emerging domains post-pandemic. Spanning 28 districts across 26 states, ASER continues to be an invaluable tool, providing a nuanced understanding of rural education in India.
Why 'Beyond Basics'?
ASER ventured 'Beyond Basics' six years ago, prompted by the realization that despite the Right to Education Act guaranteeing education up to age 14, foundational skills were often lacking by age 18. ASER 2017 findings revealed gaps in enrollment and skills among youth aged 14-18, emphasizing the need for urgent action. The subsequent impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the introduction of the National Education Policy (NEP) further accentuated the evolving educational landscape. With the NEP emphasizing multidisciplinary education, life skills, and digital literacy, ASER's decision to revisit the 14-18 age group in 2023 reflects a strategic response to these changing dynamics. 'Beyond Basics' in ASER 2023 is not just a continuation; it's an adaptive approach to comprehensively assess and address the evolving needs of youth in a rapidly changing world.
ASER 2023 Report
'Beyond Basics' explores four key domains viz. Activity, Ability, Awareness & Digital Aptitude, and Aspirations.
Activity
Higher Activity and Enrollment
The number of kids enrolled in public schools has increased overall.
In all, 86.8% of those between the ages of 14 and 18 are enrolled in school.
For kids ages 14 and 18, the rate of unenrolled youth is 3.9% and 32.6%, respectively.
The percentage of girls in the age group who are not enrolled in school has decreased from 4.1% in 2018 to 2% in 2022, which is a noteworthy improvement and a positive development.
Vocational Training
The highest percentage of youth (16.2%) enrolled in vocational training are college-age individuals.
The majority of young people enroll in short-term (6 months or less) courses.
An increase in pupils moving on to secondary school
In India, more kids than ever before have completed more years of formal education.
The economic hardship caused by the pandemic did not cause older children to leave.
Ability
Basic Competencies
A Std II level material is difficult for 25% of the 14–18 age group to read proficiently in their native tongue.
More than half of the children struggle with the mathematics abilities required of them in Grade 5.
Only 43.3% of 14 to 18-year-olds can successfully divide 3-digit by 1-digit issues, and more than half of them struggle with them.
Typical Calculations
When the starting point is 0 cm, about 85% of young people assessed are capable of measuring length with a scale.
Nearly 50% of young people can perform other common computations overall.
Applications for Everyday Life
Based on reading and comprehending written instructions, about two thirds can respond to at least three of the four questions.
Calculations of Finance
More over 60% can manage a budget; roughly 37% can apply a discount, but only roughly 10% can figure out payback.
However, in practically every endeavor, women perform lower than men.
Gender Differences in Arithmetic and Reading Proficiency
In the majority of the tasks, men outperformed women in math and reading comprehension in English.
For instance, just 41.1% of females and 51% of males could tell the time.
Compared to men (36.3%), fewer women (28.1%) are enrolled in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) program.
Low-quality Workforce
The quality of the labor force in the nation is greatly impacted by this underlying numeracy and skill mismatch.
Digital Awareness and Skills
Knowledge and Proficiency in Digital
Online Resources: Nearly 90% of young people are familiar with using and have access to smartphones in their homes.
Online safety and communication: Just about half of the young people who use social media are aware of the online safety settings that were asked about in the survey.
Digital Assignments: About two-thirds of young people can set an alarm for a specified time, and 70% of them can use the internet to look up answers to questions.
A little over 30% of people are able to calculate journey times between two locations using Google Maps.
Inadequate Use of Digital Technology
Even though 95% of rural families have smartphones, there is little use of them for learning.
Nearly 80% of young people say they have engaged in entertainment-related activities on their smartphones, such as viewing movies or listening to music.
They use social media primarily.
Gender Differences in Computer Proficiency
Among smartphone owners, 19.8% of women and 43.7% of men.
Boys did better than girls on all phone-related tasks.
Compared to men, women are less likely to be proficient with computers and smartphones.
Other Observations
Reduced Propensity for Technicality
The majority of students in this age group—14 to 18—were enrolled in the Humanities and Arts program.
Over half of students in grades XI and beyond are enrolled in the Arts/Humanities stream (55.7%), with STEM (31.7%) and Commerce (9.4%) following closely behind.
Juggling Family and Academic Commitments
The majority of young people struggle to match their scholastic obligations with other commitments, such as working on family farms.
Thirty percent or so already work, frequently for their parents. They do not, however, wish to carry on with the same task in the future.
Youth aspirations are impacted by these duties.
Severe Academic Rivalry
In India, parents frequently have unrealistic expectations for their kids.
Parental expectations result in intense academic rivalry, extensive coaching, and significant family spending.
Lack of Interest in Studying
Boys were more likely than girls to say that they didn't wish to continue their education after class 12.
Boys talked about making money, whereas girls wanted to go to college at least as far as an undergraduate degree.
The Lack of Explicitness
Students aren't given enough direction when it comes to making decisions regarding their futures.
Many students are unclear about what subjects to take, how much additional schooling they require, and what sorts of careers they ought to pursue.
No Role Model
For their desired work, 48.3% of women and 42.5% of men lacked a role model.
Key Suggestions
1. Optimized Distribution of Grants:
Streamline the distribution of Central and State grants to urban local bodies and gram panchayats, prioritizing untied funds, including wage payments, to ensure direct support for schools.
2. Community-Centric Funding:
Encourage community funding as the primary source for schools, with the private sector contributing to educational enhancement through adoption initiatives.
3. Enhanced Parental Involvement:
Facilitate regular parent-school contacts and community engagement, emphasizing the importance of teachers establishing rapport with families to enhance learning outcomes through increased parental participation.
4. Nipun Bharat Mission as a Popular Movement:
Expand the Nipun Bharat Mission into a popular movement, akin to the Total Literacy Campaign, focusing on achieving oral and written literacy as well as numeracy through innovative learning materials.
5. Establishment of Public Libraries:
Create public libraries in villages to facilitate learning, preparing students for university entrance and employment opportunities.
6. Midday Meal Organization by SHGs:
Empower women's self-help groups (SHGs) at the village level to organize midday meals, ensuring no teacher participation in the program, and allowing teachers to focus solely on imparting knowledge.
Conclusion
The ASER 2023 Report highlights positive trends in increased enrollment, reduced gender disparities, and improved vocational training in rural India. However, challenges persist in basic competencies, digital literacy, and academic guidance. Recommendations include community-driven funding, enhanced parental involvement, a literacy movement, play-way learning, and improved infrastructure. Emphasizing teacher training, technology integration, and empowering local communities, the report calls for a comprehensive approach to address educational gaps and aspirations of rural youth. Sustainable solutions require collaborative efforts from government, communities, and private sectors to ensure equitable access and quality education for all.
Source: https://asercentre.org/
Note for UPSC Aspirants: For UPSC aspirants interested in exploring further, here are some keywords to guide your research: ASER Report, Education, Rural India, Enrollment, Gender Disparities, Vocational Training, Basic Competencies, Digital Literacy, Parental Involvement, Community Empowerment, Teacher Training, Infrastructure, Youth Aspirations, Collaborative Solutions, Equitable Access.
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