The ASER 2024 survey highlights rising preschool enrollment, improved learning levels, and growing digital literacy in rural India. It underscores the need for stronger early childhood education policies, teacher training, and resource allocation. Ensuring quality ECCE requires sustained efforts, policy support, and parental engagement for holistic child development and foundational learning.
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ASER 2024 highlights rising preschool enrollment, improved learning levels, digital literacy, and the need for stronger early childhood education policies.
It is a nationwide household survey conducted annually since 2005 by the NGO Pratham.
It assesses children's enrollment status and basic learning outcomes in rural India, it focuses on reading and arithmetic skills among children aged 3 to 16.
It focuses on children aged 3 to 16 years. This broad age range allows the survey to capture data on early childhood education, primary education, and secondary education.
The ASER 2024 survey, conducted by the NGO Pratham, is a comprehensive assessment of education levels in rural India. It reached 6,49,491 children in 17,997 villages across 605 rural districts.
Increased Preschool Enrollment: There has been a significant rise in the enrollment of children aged 3 to 5 years in preschool institutions like Anganwadis, LKG, and UKG. By 2024, 77.4% of rural children aged 3 were enrolled in early childhood education programs.
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Diverse Enrollment Patterns: While Anganwadis remain the primary institution for early childhood education, states like Himachal Pradesh and Punjab have seen a shift toward pre-primary classes in schools. In Rajasthan, there has been an increase in 5-year-olds enrolling in both Anganwadis and private LKG/UKG classes. |
Improved Learning Levels: Both reading and arithmetic levels have improved for children in Classes 1 to 3, showing recovery from the learning losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Digital Literacy: For the first time, the survey measured digital literacy among older children (ages 15 to 16). Over 90% of rural adolescents have access to smartphones, and a majority can perform basic digital tasks like searching for information online or setting an alarm.
Gender Gaps in Digital Skills: While boys outperformed girls in digital tasks in some states, girls in southern states either matched or outperformed boys.
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The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has introduced changes to early childhood education: Focus on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN): The policy prioritizes achieving universal FLN by the end of Class 3 (age 8) by 2026-27. The NIPUN Bharat initiative, launched in 2021, aims to improve these skills. Structural Changes: The NEP includes the 3 to 6 age group in the formal education framework, emphasizing the importance of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE). Teacher Training and Resources: The policy recommends recruiting and training teachers specifically for ECCE. The ASER 2024 survey found that 78% of schools reported at least one teacher trained in FLN, and 75% received relevant learning materials. |
Children need to be cognitively and socially prepared for formal schooling. Starting school too early can be counterproductive.
ECCE lays the groundwork for foundational literacy and numeracy, which are essential for future academic success.
ECCE programs focus on the overall development of children, including physical, emotional, and social growth.
Programs like Anganwadis provide a direct connection between parents and educators, making it easier to involve families in the child’s education.
Conduct comprehensive and continuous data collection to understand the current realities of ECCE.
Recruit and train teachers specifically for ECCE, as recommended by the NEP 2020.
Ensure long-term budget commitments for ECCE, including resources for Anganwadis and pre-primary schools.
Develop comprehensive strategies based on state-level enrollment patterns and institutional preferences.
Strengthening the connection between parents and teachers to improve the effectiveness of ECCE programs.
The ASER 2024 survey highlights progress in early childhood education and learning levels in rural India, however, achieving quality ECCE will require sustained efforts, including policy support, teacher training, and resource allocation.
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NATIONAL EDUCATION POLICY (NEP) 2020
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