Prolonged school shutdowns due to Covid-19 have set students back by over 10 years in terms of their basic skills, a new survey showed. According to the Annual Status of Education Report ASER-2022, children's basic reading ability is down to pre-2012 levels and their maths skills to 2018 levels.
The percentage of children in Class 3 in government or private schools who can read at Class 2 level dropped from 27.3% in 2018 to 20.5% in 2022. Similarly, the percentage of 5th grade students who can at least read a text at the Class 2 level, dropped from 50.5% to 42.8%.
Notably, states that had higher reading levels in 2018 witnessed a sharp decline in 2022 with Kerala dropping from 52.1% to 38.7%, Himachal Pradesh from 47.7% to 28.4% and Haryana from 46.4% to 31.5%.
The most affected states in terms of reading ability are Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, with their figures dropping from 22.6% to 10.3% and from 18.1% to 5.2%, respectively. Tamilnadu, Mizoram and Haryana recorded decline in maths skills, the survey said.
Increase (in proportion of Class 8 students who can do division) is driven by better outcomes among girls and students in government schools.
69.6% of Class VII children could read basic text in 2022, down from 73% in 2018.
- Amit Pandey in the NIE
My take
Covid-19 has set us back by a decade, almost!
Tailpiece.
Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by 10. Today's Vichani kunjamma's 4th remembrance day.
Lekha had gone across to the Mammiyoor Shiva kshetram for a darshan of the good Lord.
A quiet Thursday.
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