'Learning deficits need to be corrected when they happen'

High digital penetration presents an opportunity to expand the reach via open university-type instruction, Wilima Wadhwa, Director of ASER Centre, which publishes the Annual Status of Education Report, tells DH’s R Krishnakumar

Considering the significantly higher school dropout rates reported among older children in ASER 2023, how compelling is the argument for extending RTE to children aged 18?

The RTE has been very successful in reducing the proportion of children who are out of school. In 2010, the proportion of 6-14 year old children who were not currently enrolled was 3.5%. This fell steadily, and in 2022 was only 1.6%, despite fears that children would drop out due to the hardships imposed by the COVID pandemic. While younger children are easier to get into school, via enrolment drives etc., older children are more difficult. However, even here, a lot of progress has been made. According to ASER, the proportion of 15-16-year-olds not currently enrolled fell from 16.1% in 2010 to 7.5% in 2022.

ASER 2023 shows that almost a third of 18-year-olds in rural India are not enrolled in school/college. The new National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 aims to increase the gross enrolment ratio in both secondary as well as higher education. High digital penetration presents an opportunity to expand the reach via open university-type instruction.

The flat rates of growth reported in foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) are indicative of a stagnant, uninspiring learning setup which some argue also makes children averse to schooling in higher classes. What is missing here? What is the reorientation needed to reverse the trend?

It is more about the fact that learning deficits need to be corrected when they happen. If a child has progressed through school without learning to read fluently or do simple arithmetic, they are likely to be left behind, since teachers are not teaching reading or subtraction in grades 6/7/8. This is reflected in the flat learning trajectories that we see over time in ASER — there is not much change in learning levels as children progress from grade 5 to 6 to 7 and higher. Even in 2022, according to ASER, close to 30% of eighth graders were not fluent readers and what we are seeing in ASER 2023 is just a reflection of that ground reality.

The NEP recognises this and there has been a big push across states under NIPUN Bharat to achieve universal FLN by the end of grade 3. Just as NIPUN Bharat addresses FLN for grades 1-3, serious “catch-up” efforts are needed in upper primary and grade 9.

How prepared is India, still grappling with the impact of social exclusion on its educational systems, to build on its digital literacy to create a competent future workforce?

In the post-COVID years, there has been a huge increase in digital penetration. While mobile coverage was almost universal, only 36% of rural households had a smartphone in 2018. The proportion of rural households with a smartphone almost doubled during the pandemic and further increased to 75% in 2022. According to ASER 2023, almost 90% of rural youth had access to a smartphone and 92% knew how to use one. This is a huge advantage that can be leveraged to strengthen their digital skills.