Srinagar, Jan 29: The quality of education in rural government schools across Jammu and Kashmir continues to decline, with more than half of Class 8 students unable to read even a Class 2-level text.
Additionally, over 70% of students in these schools struggle with basic division tasks in mathematics, according to the latest Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2024.
Declining Reading and Math Skills
The ASER survey highlights a worrying trend in reading proficiency among Class 8 students in J&K government schools:
- In 2018, 55.5% of students could read Class 2-level text.
- In 2022, this figure dropped to 50.2%.
- In 2024, it further declined to 47.2%.
Mathematical abilities are equally concerning, with only 28% of Class 8 students able to perform basic division tasks. While this marks a slight improvement from 25.3% in 2018 and 26.3% in 2022, the overall performance remains dismal.
High Enrollment But Poor Learning Outcomes
The ASER report also noted that school enrollment remains high across all age groups, including students aged 15-16. However, despite strong enrollment figures, learning outcomes continue to deteriorate, raising concerns about the effectiveness of the education system.
Survey Methodology
The ASER survey follows a consistent sampling method, selecting 30 random villages per district and assessing 20 households per village. It evaluates children aged 3-16 within households, assessing their literacy and numeracy skills.
