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Smartphone ownership among young households exceeds 90%, with over 80% of children aged 14-16 adept in using them. Yet, only 57% utilise phones for education, highlighting a gap between digital access and academic engagement.
The Annual Status of Education Report (Rural) 2024 highlights a post-pandemic shift in schooling trends, with government school enrolment for children aged 6-14 falling to 66.8 per cent from 72.9 per cent in 2022, reverting to pre-Covid levels as families regain financial stability and pivot to private education. Notably, overall enrolment remains high at 98.1 per cent, while adolescent retention (ages 15-16) has improved, with out-of-school rates falling from 13.1 per cent in 2018 to 7.5 per cent in 2024.
Persistent Learning Gaps and Digital Disparities
Despite strong enrolment figures, learning outcomes remain stagnant. Just 45.8 per cent of Class 8 students can perform basic arithmetic, showing no progress in recent years and raising concerns about foundational numeracy. A digital divide persists, with boys outperforming girls, underscoring disparities in access to technology and digital education.
Experts emphasise on the need to improve public school quality to check the private education shift. Strengthening foundational literacy and numeracy and expanding access to digital tools, particularly for girls, are critical. While better retention signals progress, stagnant learning levels and tech inequities pose long-term risks. Without urgent reforms, the rise in private enrolment could deepen educational inequality.
The ASER 2024 report by Pratham highlights notable shifts in India's education landscape, covering 605 districts, 17,997 villages, and nearly 6.5 lakh children. While smartphone penetration has surged, learning outcomes and school infrastructure remain pressing concerns.
Digital Access vs. Academic Engagement
Over 90 per cent of households with young people now own smartphones, and more than 80 per cent of children aged 14-16 can use them. However, only 57 per cent leverage them for educational purposes, revealing a gap between digital awareness and academic engagement. A gender divide persists, with 36.2 per cent of boys and 26.9 per cent of girls owning smartphones, though states like Kerala and Karnataka report more balanced access.
Infrastructure Deficiencies
Only 72 per cent of schools have usable girls’ toilets, an improvement from 66.4 per cent in 2018, while 77.7 per cent provide drinking water. However, playground availability has dipped slightly to 66.2 per cent in 2024 from 66.5 per cent in 2018. States such as Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, and Nagaland continue to grapple with basic amenities.
(Primary and upper primary school)
Early Learning Gains
The share of Class 3 students in government schools who can read a Class 2-level text has risen from 16.3 per cent in 2022 to 23.4 per cent in 2024. Similarly, 27.6 per cent of Class 3 students can now solve a subtraction problem, up from 20.2 per cent in 2022.
While smartphone access and early-grade learning have improved, persistent infrastructure gaps and digital disparities highlight unfinished challenges in the rural education sector.
The foundational literacy and numeracy programmes are yielding tangible gains, supported by enhanced teacher training and better learning materials. Attendance rates in government schools have also seen positive changes. Teacher attendance rose to 87.5 per cent in 2024, up from 85.1 per cent in 2018, while student attendance increased from 72.4 to 75.9 per cent. These gains indicate progress, yet continued efforts are essential to address the remaining gaps in access and learning outcomes.