Table of Contents
Three milestones in education
There is enough data about the learning crisis in India.
What is needed is effective decentralised action
Every year in January, when theAnnual Status of Education Report (ASER) is released, there is a hue and cry about the status of children’s learning in India.
Debates and discussions die down after some time.
• But this year’s situation is different.
• India is in a position right now to think and act differently.
Benefits of RTE
This year is historic because the children who are today in ClassVIII are •first cohort to benefit from the Right to Education Act, which came into effect in April 2010.
Completing at least eight years in the education system
Two new sources of data available on children’s learning.
Last week,ASER 2017 and the district report cards from the National Achievement
Survey (NAS) were released.
ASER data is different from the usual survey: it concentrates on the 14-18 age group
ASER 2017 “beyond basics”
How youth cope with everyday tasks that involve literacy and numeracy
Both use different methodologies –ASER is a household survey and NAS is a school-based effort.
ASER conducts its assessment one-on-one, while NAS is a pen-paper test
ASER is aimed at a representative sample of all children (whether in school and attending or out of school) whereas NAS is a representative sample of children who are enrolled in government or aided schools
Typically, ASER focusses mainly on foundational skills like reading and arithmetic, while NAS looks at a wider variety of skills.
Third, district – level data are now available.
This is significant as within the government’s education system, planning focusses
on the district as the unit for planning, allocation and implementation.
Information on inputs or infrastructure are available annually at the district level
However, until this year, other than the annual ASER data, estimates on children’s learning were not available at the district level.
Now districts in the same State will have the opportunity of making contextually relevant and
appropriate plans to address the needs of their children.
Budget,an amount could be set aside specifically for a learning improvement fund
The time is ripe for timely and effective decentralised action to improve the quality of children’s learning outcomes.
Prelims Focus Facts-News Analysis
- Page-1,10-President, PM call for early passage of triple talaq Bill
Page-1-Diamonds make the cut with domestic investors
Trades double less than •five months after India opens world’s first diamond futures
exchange
World’s •first diamond futures exchange began operations in India
It has emerged as a good investment option for common investors,
- Page-10-Open to talk with India on CPEC: China
- Sushma to engage new Nepal govt.-In a bid to revive ties with Nepal, External A•airs Minister Sushma Swaraj will visit Kathmandu from February 1 to 2
Ready for trade war, EU responds to Trump threat
The U.S. President has said that the bloc has been unfair to his country
Taxpayer count rises post GST
Voluntary enrolment by small rms lifts number of indirect taxpayers by 50%
Download Daily Free PDF – The Hindu editorial analysis
WhatsApp