School enrolment soars, but Assam struggles with Mathematics proficiency: Report
With 90% rural smartphone ownership and 85% student proficiency, Assam's digital literacy has witnessed growth: ASER 2024 reports
A school in Assam
Guwahati, January 28: Assam has experienced significant progress in school enrolment and digital literacy, but foundational numeracy skills continue to pose a challenge, particularly in government schools, according to the latest Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2024.
The survey, conducted by the Pratham Foundation, covered 24,275 children across 780 villages in 26 districts.
It highlights key improvements in early childhood education, with preschool enrolment among three-year-olds rising to 89.8% in 2024, up from 84.7% in 2022.
Four-year-old enrolment increased to 92.6%, while five-year-olds saw a rise from 69.2% to 71.7% during the same period.
Anganwadi enrolment remained high, with 81.1% of three-year-olds and 68% of four-year-olds attending Anganwadis, surpassing national averages of 66.8% and 57.7%, respectively.
However, despite improvements in preschool enrolment, the report highlights that numeracy skills remain a significant hurdle.
The ASER report reveals troubling trends in mathematics proficiency, with many students struggling with basic operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
Private school students continue to outperform their government school peers, with large gaps in performance.
The report shows that 25.2% of Class III students and 35.4% of Class V students could not solve simple arithmetic problems.
The alarmingly low proficiency in basic arithmetic among students suggests that learning deficits begin early, highlighting the need for urgent reforms to strengthen foundational numeracy skills.
On a positive note, digital literacy in Assam has seen remarkable improvements. Over 90% of rural households in the state now own a smartphone, and more than 85% of students aged 14 to 16 are proficient in using smartphones for various purposes.
However, the report cautions that the effective use of smartphones for educational purposes remains limited, primarily due to inadequate internet connectivity and the lack of educational resources in regional languages.
Private vs. Govt Schools
The ASER 2024 data also underscores the widening gap between private and government schools in Assam. The learning levels in government schools, particularly in rural areas, lag behind those in private schools.
This disparity points to possible issues such as teacher absenteeism, insufficient teaching resources, and a curriculum mismatch with the needs of students in rural areas.
Trishna Lekharu, Northeast Zonal Manager of the Pratham Foundation, highlighted that the importance of addressing these learning gaps while acknowledging the progress made in school enrolment and digital accessibility.