ASER 2024 Highlights Early Childhood Education Progress

Why in the news?

The ASER 2024 survey by Pratham NGO reveals significant improvements in preschool enrollment, foundational literacy, and digital literacy among rural children, marking recovery from pandemic-induced learning losses and progress under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 reforms.

ASER 2024 Highlights Early Childhood Education Progress

Key Findings of ASER 2024:

  • The survey reached 6,49,491 children across 17,997 villages in 605 districts.
  • Preschool enrollment for children aged 3 to 5 years rose to 4%, indicating a positive trend in early childhood education.
  • Reading and arithmetic skills among children aged 6 to 14 have improved, recovering from learning losses caused by the pandemic.

Impact of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020:

  • NEP 2020 includes the 3 to 6 age group in its structural reforms, prioritizing foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN).
  • The NIPUN Bharat initiative, launched in 2021, aims to achieve universal FLN by the end of Class 3 by 2026-27.
  • 83% of schools reported government directives on FLN, with 78% having at least one trained teacher.

Focus on Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE):

  • ECCE prepares children cognitively and socially for formal schooling starting from Class 1 at age six.
  • Anganwadis play a key role, with specialized training for workers emphasized in states like Himachal Pradesh and Punjab.
  • Digital literacy among 15-16-year-olds showed progress, with over 90% having smartphone access, though gender gaps
  • Comprehensive data collection and budget allocation are essential to sustain and improve ECCE quality.

About ASER (Annual Status of Education Report):

ASER (Annual Status of Education Report) is a nationwide rural household survey that measures the educational progress and learning levels of children in India. Key points about ASER include:

  • Focus: Measures schooling status and learning outcomes for children in rural India.
  • Age Groups: Covers children aged 3-16 years for schooling status and 5-16 years for reading ability and arithmetic skills.
  • Survey Frequency: Started in 2005, conducted annually until 2014, then shifted to an alternate-year cycle.
  • Purpose: Provides a comprehensive view of the state of education in rural areas, highlighting trends in enrollment, literacy, and numeracy.

ASER helps in understanding the effectiveness of educational policies and the challenges in rural schooling.

Sources Referred:

PIB, The Hindu, Indian Express, Hindustan Times