ASER 2024: Huge Improvement In Basic Reading, Arithmetic Knowledge Among Students Of Classes 3, 5 – News18

Last Updated:January 28, 2025, 19:28 IST

According to the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2024, basic reading levels for class 3 children enrolled in government schools have been the highest since the inception of the survey.

There have been significant improvements in basic reading and arithmetic knowledge among students of classes 3, 5, and 8 in government schools in 2024. “We have not seen improvements of this magnitude in the last 20 years since ASER has been presenting data on foundational reading and arithmetic,” Wilima Wadhwa, Director, ASER Centre said.

According to the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2024, basic reading levels for class 3 children enrolled in government schools have been the highest since the inception of the survey. Reading levels also improved significantly among class 5 children, especially for those who are enrolled in government schools.

The survey further stated that the percentage of class 3 children able to at least read class 2 level text was 20.9% in 2018. This figure fell to 16.3% in 2022 but has increased to 23.4% in 2024. “The improvement in government schools is higher than the corresponding recovery for private schools,” the survey stated. States that have seen maximum improvement in government schools include Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Odisha, and Maharashtra.

The proportion of class 5 children in government schools who can read a class 2 level text fell from 44.2% in 2018 to 38.5% in 2022. However, in 2024, it increased to 44.8%. In case of private schools, it was 56.8% in 2022 but increased to 59.3% in 2024. Mizoram (64.9%) and Himachal Pradesh (64.8%) had the highest proportions of class 5 children in government schools able to read class 2 level text, the survey added.

Reading levels increased among children enrolled in class 8 in government schools as well. As per the survey, the level fell from 69% in 2018 to 66.2% in 2022 but then rose to 67.5% in 2024. However, the performance of private school students remains unchanged between 2022 and 2024. Government schools in states such as Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and Sikkim showed notable improvements. However, declines were observed in states like Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana.

In terms of basic arithmetic levels, children in class 3 who can at least do a numerical subtraction problem were 28.2% in 2018 and 25.9% in 2022. This figure increased to 33.7% in 2024. Among government school students, this figure went from 20.9% in 2018 to 20.2% in 2022, increasing to 27.6% in 2024. Government schools across Tamil Nadu and Himachal Pradesh have shown huge improvements. For private school students, this number showed a smaller improvement since 2022.

As per the ASER 2024, the proportion of children in class 5 who can at least do a numerical division problem has also improved. This figure was 27.9% in 2018, 25.6% in 2022, and then rose to 30.7% in 2024. This change is also driven mainly by government schools, especially in states like Punjab and Uttarakhand.

Meanwhile, the performance of class 8 students in basic arithmetic remains similar to earlier levels, going from 44.1% in 2018 to 44.7% in 2022 to 45.8% in 2024

“What has led to this sudden improvement in learning levels? All-India estimates are typically slow to change and learning levels that had been stagnant till 2010 declined slightly thereafter, only improving slowly between 2014 and 2018,” Wadhwa said.

However, the proportion of 15-16-year-old children who are not enrolled in school dropped sharply from 13.1% in 2018 to 7.5% in 2022 but stayed about the same at 7.9% in 2024 at the all-India level. The proportion of girls not enrolled has increased slightly from 7.9% in 2022 to 8.1% in 2024.