Every fourth Class VIII student can’t read Class II text: ASER

Maharashtra fares below states like Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Kerala and Rajasthan; survey by NGO Pratham finds arithmetic level poorer than reading

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In 2016, more than half of the Class III students of government schools (58.8 per cent) and private schools (61.2 per cent) couldn’t read Class II text. (Representational)

ONE OUT of every four children leaving Class VIII in the state cannot even read text meant for a Class II student, according to the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), a survey by non-governmental organisation, Pratham. The report that gauged the learning levels of students across the country, found that almost 25 per cent students passing out of Class VIII lacked basic reading skills. Moreover, the condition has marginally dropped since 2015. Maharashtra fared below states such as Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Kerala and Rajasthan, among others. Arithmetic level was poorer than reading level, said the report prepared after surveying 26,393 children from 33 districts in the state.

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“This means about one-fourth children are not ready for higher education,” read the report. The poor reading abilities of upper primary students have remained almost same as in 2014. In case of Class III and Class V children, their reading abilities, though still considerably poor, have marginally improved.

In 2016, for example, more than half of the Class III students of government schools (58.8 per cent) and private schools (61.2 per cent) couldn’t read Class II text. The corresponding figures for 2014 were 66.9 and 63 per cent, respectively. Reading level of government schoolchildren has been rising since 2014 as has the arithmetic levels, according to the report.

State Education Minister Vinod Tawde said the improvement in the reading abilities of lower grades was because of the focussed efforts of the government. “The government has adopted a step by step approach. The first focus was on the development of children in primary sections, which is why there is improvement in these sections,” said the minister, adding that focus will eventually move to upper primary classes.

Tawde said that although Maharashtra fared better than other states in the country, the state government will strive to perform better.