UPSC EDITORIAL ANALYSIS : Data for better education, a brighter future for students

Source: The Hindu

• Prelims: Current events of national importance(Different social service Schemes, NEP, ASER report, NCERT)

• Mains GS Paper I & II: Social empowerment, development and management of social sectors/services related to Education etc.

ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS

• Since 2005, except during the COVID-19 years, the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2023 was released in mid-January

INSIGHTS ON THE ISSUE

Context

Annual Status of Education Report (ASER):

• The survey is facilitated by *Pratham Education Foundation*, and is the oldest survey of its kind in the country.

• It uses Census 2011 as the sampling frame and continues to be an important national source of information about children’s *foundational skills *across the country.

• ASER 2018 surveyed children in the age group of 3 to 16 years and included almost all rural districts in India and generated estimates of *foundational reading and arithmetic abilities of children in the age group 5 to 16 years.*

• ASER 2019 reported on the *pre-schooling or schooling status of children in the age group 4 to 8 years *in 26 rural districts, it focused on the “early years”. It laid emphasis on “developing problem-solving faculties and building a memory of children, and not content knowledge”.

• It laid emphasis on “developing problem-solving faculties and building a memory of children, and not content knowledge”.

• ASER 2020 is the *first ever phone-based* ASER survey and it was conducted in September 2020, the sixth month of national school closures.

Report:

• The ASER 2023 Beyond Basics survey: It was carried out in 28 rural districts across 26 States of the country. It is representative of the district level and indicative of broader trends of the activities, abilities (including digital abilities), and aspirations of 14-18 year olds. Overall, 26% of 14-18 year olds cannot read a standard two level text in their regional language.

• It was carried out in 28 rural districts across 26 States of the country.

• It is representative of the district level and indicative of broader trends of the activities, abilities (including digital abilities), and aspirations of 14-18 year olds.

• Overall, 26% of 14-18 year olds cannot read a standard two level text in their regional language.

• In 2018, around 32% of standard seven and 27% of standard eight children could not read a standard two level text.

• Foundational learning trajectories are typically flat and become flatter in the upper grades. Solution: unless children acquire foundational skills in the primary grades, they are extremely unlikely to acquire them in later grades, in the absence of focused interventions.

• Solution: unless children acquire foundational skills in the primary grades, they are extremely unlikely to acquire them in later grades, in the absence of focused interventions.

• 57% of the 14-18 year olds surveyed who do not possess basic reading skills are enrolled in standard 10 or below Another 28% of these children are not enrolled in school, college or a vocational institution.

• Another 28% of these children are not enrolled in school, college or a vocational institution.

Issues with ASER:

• It does not capture school attendance in secondary grades, the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) 75th round did so in 2017-18: It recorded that in the secondary grades (standards nine and 10) attendance in rural India was as low as 60%.

• It recorded that in the secondary grades (standards nine and 10) attendance in rural India was as low as 60%.

• Among the 14-18 year olds who are unable to read fluently, even those who are enrolled in school may not be attending school.

• Focusing on school-based reading improvement programmes without investing in encouraging and empowering these children to return to school and to reading may not yield transformative results.

• Recognising letters or decoding simple words is not the major challenge most face. They need guidance, practice, and lots of encouragement and motivation to read. Exposed to ridicule and embarrassment, many of these children may have given up and begun to hate reading now.

• They need guidance, practice, and lots of encouragement and motivation to read.

• Exposed to ridicule and embarrassment, many of these children may have given up and begun to hate reading now.

ASER 2023:

• It provides a peek into the aspirations and thought processes of the 14-18 year olds regarding their future.

• The ASER team conducted focus group discussions with children of the target age group in three districts.

• More than 60% of the surveyed children want to obtain at least a college education with a higher percentage of girls aspiring for a college education (65%) when compared to boys (59%). About their work aspirations: one in five said they had really not thought about it. Among those who had, joining the police or the defense forces was the most prominent among career options for boys, while becoming a teacher or doctor emerged as the most prominent career option for girls.

• with a higher percentage of girls aspiring for a college education (65%) when compared to boys (59%).

• About their work aspirations: one in five said they had really not thought about it.

• Among those who had, joining the police or the defense forces was the most prominent among career options for boys,

• while becoming a teacher or doctor emerged as the most prominent career option for girls.

• ASER points out that almost half of the surveyed 14-18 year olds who have work aspirations do not know anyone else working in that profession, whether at home, community, school or even a public figure.

• Focus group discussions conducted in three districts,m(Part of ASER 2023 survey: It discussed perceptions of 14-18 year olds around vocational education.

• In Sitapur and Dhamtari (in Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, respectively) vocational education was marred by negative perceptions of being the route that people choose when they are unable to bag white collar jobs.

• Solan (Himachal Pradesh): context-driven vocational courses such as tourism and hotel management were introduced in schools as early as standard nine. The result was seen in the perspectives of students towards these trades, which gained aspirational value.

• The result was seen in the perspectives of students towards these trades, which gained aspirational value.

• On-the-job training, certification at the end of the course and readily available information on career prospects encouraged students to aspire for related professions.

How is ASER measured?

• ASER has measured foundational skills in reading and arithmetic.

• The highest reading task on the ASER tool is reading a text at Grade II level of difficulty.

• The assessment is done one on one with each sampled child in the household.

• The child is marked at the highest level that she/he can comfortably reach. The same tasks are used for all children aged 5 years to 16 years.

• The same tasks are used for all children aged 5 years to 16 years.

What steps need to be taken?

• ASER 2022, and later the State of Elementary Education in Rural India Report(brought out by Sambodhi and the Development Intelligence Unit): It clearly indicates that only a small fraction of rural households has reading materials, other than school textbooks. Community libraries can create rich, vibrant spaces that foster reading, creativity and critical thinking. They need to be managed right, led by committed and enterprising individuals who can rekindle an interest in reading, drawing children, youth and adults to these libraries Nurturing an environment in homes and neighborhoods that guides, supports and motivates readers of all ages, genders and abilities.

• Community libraries can create rich, vibrant spaces that foster reading, creativity and critical thinking.

• They need to be managed right, led by committed and enterprising individuals who can rekindle an interest in reading, drawing children, youth and adults to these libraries

• Nurturing an environment in homes and neighborhoods that guides, supports and motivates readers of all ages, genders and abilities.

ASER Survey | NAS Survey

Conducted on households | Conducted on schools

It is meant to be an analysis of basic competencies in reading and mathematics across rural India, conducted by community volunteers, in the child’s home | It is a school-based, grade specific, country-wide assessment (covering both rural and urban) but limited to government and government aided schools

Quality of learning measured by reading, writing and arithmetic has either shown no improvement or worsened actually | Significant disparities across states

Increase in mid-day meals served in government schools. Compared to last year’s 97.7 per cent, 99.50 per cent schools now serve meals. Kitchen sheds have also increased. | The rural-urban divide also seems to have been bridged with most of the Indian states showing no significant disparity between rural and urban students.

Constitutional Provisions related to education:

• *Part IV of Indian Constitution, Article 45 and Article 39 (f)* of Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP), has a provision for state-funded as well as equitable and accessible education.

• The 42nd Amendment to the Constitution in 1976 moved education from the State to the *Concurrent List.*

• Article 21A: It provides free and compulsory education of all children in the age group of *six to fourteen years as a fundamental Right in such a manner as the State may, by law, determine. The 86th Amendment in 2002* made education an enforceable right under Article 21-A.

• Article 39(f): It provides that children are given opportunities and facilities to develop in a healthy manner and in conditions of freedom and dignity and that childhood and youth are protected against exploitation and against moral and material abandonment.

• Article 45: The State shall endeavor to provide, within a period of ten years from the commencement of this Constitution, for free and compulsory education for all children until they complete the age of fourteen years.

● ARTICLE 46: The State shall promote with special care the educational and economic interests of the weaker sections of the people, and in particular, of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes, and shall protect them from social injustice and all forms of exploitation.

Related Laws: Right To Education (RTE) Act, 2009:

• It aims to provide primary education to all children aged 6 to 14 years and enforces education as a Fundamental Right.

• It also mandates *25% reservation for disadvantaged sections of the society.*

• It states that sharing of financial and other responsibilities between the Central and State Governments.

• It lays down the norms and standards related to:

• Pupil Teacher Ratios (PTRs)

• Buildings and infrastructure

• School-working days

• Teacher-working hours.

Government Initiatives:

• National Education Policy 2020.

• Samagra Shiksha (SS) 2.0

• NIPUN Bharat Mission

• PM Poshan Scheme

• Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE).

• Performance Grading Index

• National Education Policy (NEP) 2020: It gives high priority to the acquisition of foundational literacy and numeracy skills especially for children in early grades.

• “NIPUN Bharat” (where NIPUN is National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy) the government’s flagship programme designed to translate policy into practice, is beginning to have traction in many States.

Way Forward

• The increasing ubiquity and access of youth to smartphones, as highlighted by ASER 2023, and, earlier, the State of Elementary Education in Rural India Report, must be leveraged.

• Tapping into the incentives that youth may have to prepare and learn more about what they want to become Digital technology can equip youth with the foundations of their aspired professions and also bridge connections with relevant professionals. For example, while in school or college, youth who wish to become nurses can undertake online foundational courses on nursing and related subjects, or even relevant short modules such as administering first aid. All this requires committed collaborations among ed-tech agencies, industries and professional groups.

• Digital technology can equip youth with the foundations of their aspired professions and also bridge connections with relevant professionals.

• For example, while in school or college, youth who wish to become nurses can undertake online foundational courses on nursing and related subjects, or even relevant short modules such as administering first aid.

• All this requires committed collaborations among ed-tech agencies, industries and professional groups.

• Schools and colleges must take the lead and do more to understand and cultivate youth’s aspirations and guide them to the right platforms and avenues.

• Data, and not just ASER data, when designed and collected with rigor and the right intent, highlight problems but also have crucial pointers for action.

• Move beyond the immediate instinct to lament over the problem and dig deeper to discern where to act, how to act and who must act.

• ASER data shows that an “overambitious” curriculum and the linear age-grade organizational structure of Indian schools result in a vast majority of children getting “left behind” early in their school career. Need for in-school mechanisms for “catch up otherwise children fall further and further behind academically.

• Need for in-school mechanisms for “catch up otherwise children fall further and further behind academically.

QUESTION FOR PRACTICE

Has digital illiteracy, particularly in rural areas, coupled with lack of Information and Communication Technology(ICT) accessibility hindered socio-economic development? Examine with justification.(UPSC 2021) (200 WORDS, 10 MARKS)

Editorial Analysis – 13 Apr 2024