Annual Education Survey 2016: Punjab, Haryana school students show decline in learning curve
While 19.9 per cent Class I students in Haryana cannot recognise numbers, the figure for Punjab is 16.8 per cent
In Haryana, 19.9 per cent students of Class I cannot recognise numbers, 24.4 per cent cannot recognise capital letters of the English alphabet and 23.4 per cent cannot recognise Hindi alphabets. A similar situation prevails in Punjab where 26.6 per cent of Class I students cannot read Punjabi alphabets, 16.8 per cent cannot recognise numbers and 21.7 per cent cannot read capital letters.
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These are some of the findings in the Annual Survey of Education Report (ASER), 2016, under which the learning levels of students in rural areas across the country are assessed. According to the report, only 46.2 per cent students of Class III in Haryana can read Class II level text, including 60.9 per cent in private schools and just 25.1 per cent in government schools.
There is a decline in the reading levels of Class VIII students. While 85.2 per cent students of Class VIII could read Class II level text in 2014, it decreased to 83.7 per cent in 2016. There is a marginal increase in the Class V students of government schools who can read Class II text from 53.9 per cent in 2014 to 54.6 per cent.
When it comes to arithmetic, 4.2 per cent students of Class VIII can recognise numbers from 1 to 9, but not from 10 to 99, 11.9 per cent can recognise numbers but not subtract, 17.8 per cent can subtract but not divide and 65.4 per cent can divide.
There is a decline in the percentage of Class V students who can do division. According to the report, 49 per cent of Class V students can divide, including 63.9 per cent in private schools and 30.1 per cent in government schools. In 2014, 51.9 per cent students of Class V could divide. The decline is more in private schools. Further, 53.5 per cent students of Class III in government schools can divide compared to 50.7 per cent in 2014 while overall, it has gone down from 66.7 per cent to 65.4 per cent.
In case of English, in Class VIII, 4.5 per cent students can recognise capital letters, but not small letters, 7.7 per cent can recognise small letters but not words and 14.6 per cent can understand words but not simple sentences. There is also no computer for students to use at 89.4 per cent of the schools surveyed and no drinking water facility in 16.6 per cent schools.
A similar situation prevails in Punjab. Only 35.2 per cent students of Class III can read Class II level text in Punjabi. While the figure for government schools has increased from 24.1 per cent in 2014 to 30.6 per cent in 2016, in private schools, it has declined from 41.4 per cent to 39.2 per cent in the same period. Just 69.1 per cent students of Class V can read Class II level text and 86.4 per cent in Class VIII can read Class II level text.
In case of mathematics, 48.7 per cent students of Class III can do subtraction, including 36.3 per cent in government schools and 59.6 per cent in private schools. A total of 48 per cent students of Class V can do division, while 58.1 per cent in Class VIII can divide. There is some improvement from the learning levels in 2014.
For English, 6.7 per cent students of Class VIII can recognise small letters but not words, 14.9 per cent can understand words but not easy sentences and 75 per cent can understand easy sentences. Further, 90.9 per cent schools had no computer available for students and 9.3 per cent had no drinking water facility.
In both Punjab and Haryana, the learning levels are lower than that in 2010. The states were among those who advocated for doing away with the no-detention policy when suggestions were sought for the New Education Policy. The state governments have suggested that board exams be restarted.
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