The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), Rural 2012, revealed a decline in education standards across India. This survey was carried out 567 districts, with children between the ages of three to 16 attending rural schools. The deepest declines were around the subjects of arithmetic and reading.
Only five out of ten Class V students could solve a simple arithmetic problem, compared to the seven out of ten in 2010. 46.3% of students in Class V failed a Class II reading test back in 2010. This percentage has increased to 51.8% in 2011 and to 53.2% in 2012. For students in Class III, 61.3% failed a Class I reading, an increase from 54.4% in 2010.
The results show how much basic learning levels in rural India have fallen. This appeared strongly in government schools, which led families to seek private institutions instead. For the past several years, the government has been working hard to decrease the number of out-of-school children. Several acts have followed to also improve the facilities and provide meals for students. However, the government was recently criticized for their lack of quality education for these students. This new survey strongly supports the low level of education that resulted from high enrollment of students. The disappointing results verified the low quality education that comes from lack of resources and trained teachers.
“The last couple of years have seen a big decline, and that is very worrying. We have spent many years getting our children into school; now it is time to see what we learn from them,” said Dr. Rukmini Banerji of the NGO Pratham.
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