There Is a Dip In Scores In Schools After The COVID-19
A deep learning crisis has struck during the Covid pandemic, with a large-scale central government survey showing student outcomes falling by as much as nine percentage points between 2017 and 2021 in the years to come and the topics starting from arithmetic to the social sciences.
The drop occurred in all subjects and all grades, showing the results of the National Achievement Survey (NAS), with a sample of 34,000 students in grades III, V, VIII and X.
The survey was conducted in November 2021 across states and union territories among students in 1,180,000 schools in 720 rural and urban districts.
NAS 2021 also revealed that up to 24per cent of students surveyed do not have access to digital devices at home, and 38per cent said they have difficulty carrying out learning activities at home during the school year.
during the pandemic, while 80per cent said they studied better. at school with the support of friends.
“To be very honest the goal of NAS 2021 is to assess children’s academic progress and skills as an indicator of the effectiveness of the education system and to provide appropriate measures for corrective actions at various levels,” the Ministry of Education said in an official statement.
I am saying. Expression. “This will help close the learning gap and help state/UT governments develop long, medium and short term interventions to improve learning and focus on planning.” difference based on NAS 2021 data,” he said.
Consider the key findings by level detailed in the survey:
Grade 3
In terms of language, the national average score achieved by students is 62 in 2021, compared with 68 in 2017.
Math scores are 57 and 64, respectively, down seven percentage points. State and UT performance, when looked at separately, show that many institutions perform below the national average. For example, the math scores of Jharkhand and Delhi are 47 each.
Grade 5
The national average in math is 44, down from 53, or 9 percentage points in 2017. The gap between the national average in language scores increased by three percentage points, from 58 in 2017 to 55 in 2021.
The state averages show that in math, Andhra Pradesh reached 40, Chhattisgarh 35 and Delhi 38. A state like Rajasthan, on the other hand, scored 53 points, 9 percentage points higher than the national average. Grade 8
The national average increased from 42 to 36 for math, from 44 to 39 for science and social sciences and from 53 to 57 for languages. In math, Tamil Nadu and Chhattisgarh lag behind the national average, with 30 points each. With a score of 50, Punjab joins Rajasthan (46) and Haryana (42) scoring well above the national average.
Grade 10
We couldn’t perform a comparative analysis because the 2017 NAS round didn’t include students in this class, but the 2021 numbers show a deeper decline in performance from class to class.
The maths score nationally is 32, according to the survey. The scores in science, social science, English and modern Indian language are 35, 37, 43 and 41, respectively and on top of that the report shows that Punjab performed best in all grades and subjects.
In February, the Centre announced that states and UTs will have to plan “posts interventions” based on the findings of the survey.
The adverse effects of COVID 19 on the education system
As schools begin to close after the long hiatus of the Covid19 pandemic, India’s top national education survey has recorded an unprecedented increase in the number of pupils in public schools. and enrollment rates in private schools are at a 10-year low.
He points out that the growing reliance on private tutoring – and the stark digital divide – has the potential to severely impact elementary school students’ ability to learn.
The Annual State of Education Report (ASER) survey, organized by the Pratham Education Foundation, is the oldest such survey in the country and is renowned for the range of information it provides about the basic learning levels at the elementary level.
Amid the pandemic, the ASER Center focuses on accessing learning opportunities in 2020, and in its latest report released on Wednesday. The 16th edition of the report is based on a telephone survey, conducted in September and October, of 75,234 children aged 516 years in 581 rural counties in 25 states and three union territories.
Investigators have also contacted teachers or principals at 7,299 public schools that have elementary grades. The report shows a “clear shift” from private to public schools – from 64.3per cent in 2018 to 65.8per cent in 2020, to 70.3per cent in 2021; and reduce the enrollment rate at private schools from 28.8per cent in 2020 to 24.4per cent in 2021.
According to ASER Center Director Wilima Wadhwa and Executive Director Pratham
Rukmini Banerji, enrollment rates in schools Public schools have declined since 2006 until stabilizing around 65per cent in 2018. In that context, the increase of 5 percentage points from last year is very significant.
Tuition fee depends
According to the survey, students, especially those from poor families, depend on individual lessons more than ever. While 39.2per cent of all children are currently taking lessons, between 2018 and 2021, the proportion of children with “low” parents who are studying has increased by 12.6 percentage points, compared with an increase of 12.6 percentage points.
7.2 percentage points among children whose parents were reported to be in the “high” educational group. The report classifies families with parents in grade 5 or below as “low”; parents completed at least 9th grade of the “higher education” category.
Lack Of Digital Devices
From a lack of experience in the preschool classroom to a lack of access to digital devices, the pandemic has made the youngest students entering India’s formal education system particularly vulnerable.
Vulnerability and failure to meet their specific needs can have serious consequences, according to the survey.
Suman Bhattacharjee, director of the ASER research centre, observed in the report that about 1 in 3 children in grades I and II have never attended a face-to-face class. Among public school students, the rate is 36.8; in private schools is 33.6per cent. Banerji told The Indian Express,
“Students entering the school system after the pandemic will need time to settle in, prepare for the formal education system… This is important because these students even no experience in preschool, or anganwadis. . ”
The survey found that the youngest learners also had “the least access to technology”. Almost a third of all children in grades I and II do not have a smartphone at home.
While the percentage of school children with at least one smartphone at home increased from 36.5 to 67.6 between 2018 and 2021, only 19.9per cent of children in grade III have access to it. equipment when they need it.
Smartphone accessibility increases with age, with 35.4per cent of students in grades IX and above having ongoing access. fall behind
65.4per cent of teachers said the problem of children “not keeping up” was one of their biggest challenges – a warning that their academic performance could be affected if left unchecked. emergency treatment.
In the central government’s recent National Achievement Survey (NAS), teachers and field investigators around the country reported that primary school children had difficulty understanding questions to Test basic understanding and digital skills.
Although the ASER survey did not shed light on learning outcomes, an assessment sample conducted in Karnataka in March 2021 of 20,000 children aged 515 found a ‘severe drop’ in literacy basic skills, especially in the early years of primary school – this has emphasized the need to give special attention to children in elementary grades when they return to school or enter school for the first time. learn.
Silver coated
The report noted a decrease in the proportion of children currently out of school-aged 1516 – the group most at risk of dropping out. “In 2010, the proportion of young people aged 15 to 16 who did not attend school was 16.1per cent. Fueled by the government’s efforts to universalize secondary education, this number has
steadily decreased and stood at 12.1per cent in 2018. The decline continued in 2020 to 9.9 per cent and 6.6per cent in 2021”, the report said. The survey also found that 91.9per cent of enrolled children have textbooks for their current classroom. But only about a third (33.5per cent) of third-graders in schools that remained open said they had received learning materials – printed or virtual boards, online or audio-recorded lessons, or related videos. to school – from school.
“Even less have been in contact with teachers to discuss children’s learning (28.5per cent). The report says the proportion of families with teacher exposure is more inclined towards rich families. more, reflected in the educational level of parents.
edited and proofread by nikita sharma
