45.7% adolescents in Nanded struggle to read English sentences, finds survey

About 65.6% adolescents in Nanded district struggle with basic division in arithmetic tests while 45.7% face challenges in reading English sentences and 22.7% cannot read class 2- level English text, a survey has found, putting the spotlight on the educational backwardness among those in the 14-18 age bracket.

The worrisome findings are part of the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2023, titled ‘Beyond Basics,’ which was unveiled on Wednesday. The survey, conducted in 28 districts across 26 states, focused on activity, ability, and digital awareness and skills in rural India.

The report has shed light on specific challenges in the region. While 94% adolescents in Nanded are enrolled in formal educational institutions, 12.6% are with government institutions, and 6% are not enrolled anywhere. In terms of abilities, 77.3% can read a class 2-level text, 34.4% can do division, and 54.3% can read sentences in English.

Digital awareness is relatively high, with 89.4% having a smartphone at home, but gender differences persist in smartphone ownership and usage. Males are more than twice as likely to have their own smartphone, and females are less likely to know how to use smartphones or computers.

Social media usage is widespread, with 90.5% reporting its use, but awareness of online safety settings is lacking, particularly among females, the report has revealed.

Vasant Kalpande, former director of the school education department, highlighted the severity of the survey which pointed out that 22.7% students face difficulty reading English text at the class 2-level, while English-medium students struggle to translate even a single sentence into their mother tongue.

“The New Education Policy, which places an increased emphasis on language, must be implemented forcefully and effectively in the state instead of being confined to paper,” Kalpande said.

ASER, a nationwide citizen-led household survey initiated in 2005, aims to provide insights into the status of children’s schooling and learning in rural India. The report emphasises the need for targeted interventions to address the identified gaps in youth education and calls for collective efforts to ensure a brighter future for rural adolescents.