NEW DELHI: About 25% of teenagers in India between 14 and 18 years of age cannot fluently read a Class-2 level text in their mother tongue, the latest Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) released on Wednesday said.
When it comes to reading English, about 42% could not read simple sentences. “A little over half can read sentences in English (57.3%). Of those who can read sentences in English, almost three-quarters can tell their meanings (73.5%),” the report said.
Mathematics was also not a bright spot. Of the 34,745 teens surveyed, only 43.3% could solve a mathematical problem that involved dividing a three-digit number by a single-digit number — a skill that is expected of third or fourth-standard students. However, it is an improvement over the findings of the 2017 survey, when only 39.5% could solve a similar problem.
Overall, 86.8% of the respondents are enrolled in educational institutions. The older youths are more likely to be not enrolled — 32.6% of 18-year-olds not currently enrolled as against 3.9% of 14-year-olds who took part in the survey.
The survey found that 89% have access to a smartphone at home while 94.7% males and 89.8% females said they know how to use one. However, only 19.8% of females and 43.7% of males own a smartphone.
This survey also found Humanities to be the most preferred stream for students after 10th standard. Of the Class 11 and 12 students surveyed, 55% opted for Humanities, 31% opted for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and 9% for Commerce.
The proportion of out-of-school children and youth has been secularly declining amid the government’s push to universalise secondary education, the report noted.
“One major worry during Covid-19 was that with livelihoods being threatened, older children would drop out. That fear turned out to be unfounded,” said the survey report. About 84% have completed at least eight years of schooling, compared to 81% in 2017.
ASER 2023 ‘Beyond Basics’ survey was done by Pratham Foundation, an education-focused non-profit, in 28 districts across 26 states. At least one rural district was surveyed in each of the major states.