Sharp decline in reading level among kids in India

[fast]

Five out of 10 school students of class V in rural India cannot solve simple arithmetic problems, says a nationwide survey on education.

Putting a question mark on the quality of education imparted, the findings of the Annual Status of Education Report (ASAR) said while in 2010 more than half of class V students were able to read class II level texts, the proportion came down to 46.8 per cent in 2012.

"The decline in reading levels is more visible among children in government schools as compared to those in private schools... It has fallen from 50.7 per cent in 2010 to 41.7 per cent in 2010," the report prepared by Pratham, a voluntary organisation, said.

HRD Minister M M Pallam, who released the report, expressed his "dismay" over some of the findings even as he dismissed suggestion that the decline was due to introduction of contentious and comprehensive evaluation (CCE) process in classrooms.

"... I will certainly not attribute it to the factor of CCE," he said after president of Pratham Education Foundation Madhav Chavan sought to highlight CCE for some of the negative indicators.

Raju also appeared to play down the findings of the report, saying it is a "dipstick survey".

He said the ministry has its own NCERT survey conducted every three years though he acknowledged that the survey underscores that "it is important we all work together".

The report was based on a survey carried out in rural schools across 567 districts and covering about six lakh children in the age of 3-16.

Highlighting the declining reading level, the report said that while seven out of 10 children (70.9 per cent) in class 5 were able to solve simple two-digit subtraction problem, it declined to five out of 10 (53.5 per cent) in 2012

Sharp decline in reading level among kids in India | Business Standard

 

[Dubious]

I think it is the case all over the world!

 

[Icewolf]

That brings huge question on India's literacy rate.

Can it be trusted as a correct way to measure India's literacy?

I mean, 60% literacy for a country like India. It seemed a bit too fishy for me.

 

[karan21]

This survey is not exhaustive enough and is mostly conducted in the govt schools.

Indians total student strength is over 450 million. Most go to private schools and are decently educated. While we have 20 million students in higher education which is also a huge number.


Although I definitely agree that quality is something that India is struggling with.

 

[Icewolf]

This survey is not exhaustive enough and is mostly conducted in the govt schools.

Indians total student strength is over 450 million. Most go to private schools and are decently educated. While we have 20 million students in higher education which is also a huge number.


Although I definitely agree that quality is something that India is struggling with.

I heard that 80% of indian scoolkids dont pass secondary

 

[Icewolf]

lol still we produce the 2nd largest no one engineers, doctors and scientists in the world. Topic is quality of education in govt schools. You don't jump to conclusions, because you come from a nation that has a literacy rate of below 42% and we are from over 80%. Be ashamed of your identity and go educate some kids on your streets who are holding guns and swearing to kill Indians.

India real literacy rate is around 30%.

Pakistans is 50%.

Most Indians fail all of the tests, and dont make it past secondary.

Quality > Quantity

Indian engineers have not been able to produce world class buildings and Indian doctors steal kidney of patients and sell it

Moreover, Indias average IQ is >82

 

[SQ8]

Topic is about India, any attempt to the contrary will lead to pink paint.. rapidly.

 

[WAR-rior]

yaar, ye anda 30% ka figure kahan se laaya?

Oscar bhai, tum hi bata do. Where on earth did Indian literacy become 30% ?

 

[bangbros]

I heard that 80% of indian scoolkids dont pass secondary

from which ear u heard tht right or left ,dude states were(kerala) i come from they have literacy rate of 91% ,

 

[indushek]

As per Population Census of India 2011, the Literacy rate of India has shown as improvement of almost 9 percent. It has gone up to 74.04% in 2011 from 65.38% in 2001, thus showing an increase of 9 percent in the last 10 years. It consists of male literacy rate 82.14% and female literacy rate is 65.46%. Kerala with 93.9% literacy rate is the top state in India. Lakshadweep and Mizoram are at second and third position with 92.3% and 91.06% literacy rate respectively. Bihar with 63.08% literacy rate is the last in terms of literacy rate in India.


Ranking of States in India by Literacy Rate
S.No State Literacy Rate Male Literacy Rate Female Literacy Rate
1 Andaman & Nicobar Islands 86.3% 90.1% 81.8%
2 Andhra Pradesh 67.7% 75.6% 59.7%
3 Arunachal Pradesh 67.0% 73.7% 59.6%
4 Assam 73.2% 78.8% 67.3%
5 Bihar 63.8% 73.5% 53.3%
6 Chandigarh 86.4% 90.5% 81.4%
7 Chattisgarh 71.0% 81.5% 60.6%
8 Dadra & Nagar Haveli 77.7% 86.5% 65.9%
9 Daman & Diu 87.1% 91.5% 79.6%
10 Delhi 86.3% 91.0% 80.9%
11 Goa 87.4% 92.8% 81.8%
12 Gujarat 79.3% 87.2% 70.7%
13 Haryana 76.6% 85.4% 66.8%
14 Himachal Pradesh 83.8% 90.8% 76.6%
15 Jammu and Kashmir 68.7% 78.3% 58.0%
16 Jharkhand 67.6% 78.5% 56.2%
17 Karnataka 75.6% 82.8% 68.1%
18 Kerala 93.9% 96.0% 92.0%
19 Lakshadweep 92.3% 96.1% 88.2%
20 Madhya Pradesh 70.6% 80.5% 60.0%
21 Maharashtra 82.9% 89.8% 75.5%
22 Manipur 79.8% 86.5% 73.2%
23 Meghalaya 75.5% 77.2% 73.8%
24 Mizoram 91.6% 93.7% 89.4%
25 Nagaland 80.1% 83.3% 76.7%
26 Orissa 73.5% 82.4% 64.4%
27 Puducherry 86.5% 92.1% 81.2%
28 Punjab 76.7% 81.5% 71.3%
29 Rajasthan 67.1% 80.5% 52.7%
30 Sikkim 82.2% 87.3% 76.4%
31 Tamil Nadu 80.3% 86.8% 73.9%
32 Tripura 87.8% 92.2% 83.1%
33 Uttar Pradesh 69.7% 79.2% 59.3%
34 Uttarakhand 79.6% 88.3% 70.7%
35 West Bengal 77.1% 82.7% 71.2%
- INDIA 74.04% 82.14% 65.46%



While i don't have the data for it, it has been said that while these percentages are for whole of the population amongst the younger gen these percentages further increase and a census probably around 2020 or so would throw new light on the level of literacy.

Regarding the Quality of Education it is always a problem, it always depends on the quality of teaching courses and the remmuneration being offered to them etc etc. However i think while we should be noting and working on quality front quantity is important too in the sense that we are becoming a educated country and the education is what makes people to develop further.

 

[kingofkings]

I heard that 80% of Indian scoolkids dont pass secondary

Well u dfntl'y hav issues with that .... Why don't u try your nearest ENT doc ....

@topic I don't think it reflects the actual figures, it may be true for very few gov schools but I highly doubt teh fig considering rest of the institutions.

 

[third eye]

I think it is the case all over the world!

Its to do with the spreading culture of relying on media & IT for all information. Where are the libraries and the children who would be enthused to borrow books ?

The culture of writing has all but gone, reading was to naturally follow. Reading is confined to stuff that shall make you pass the next exam.

That brings huge question on India's literacy rate.

Can it be trusted as a correct way to measure India's literacy?

I mean, 60% literacy for a country like India. It seemed a bit too fishy for me.

Dont jump the gun.

Remove the calculator from the lives of most humans and the MS Excel from the lap tops - watch how many of us can do basic math.

Literacy exists the figures given are close to correct. The larger issue is that a degree has replaced knowledge. Pervious generations may not have had degrees but were learned.

 

[baajey]

i belong to a very small village in india (technically my old man's place). its what i guess the most backward place in india (althoh now theres electricity, TV sets in almost every home, a pucca road, irrigation canals and mobile on every hand, well almost).
point is, sensing the backwardness of this place i thot maybe the govt figures on literacy might be bloated. i asked my chachi, who is a anganwadi (UNICEF initiative in india) karyakarta and was enrolled by the state govt for census '11. she told me that the ppl going from door to door in an area were by and large locals, hence better (more legible rather than filling in kinda info) info was recorded and a person is considered literate if he/she has passed matriculation (at least). i enquired how stringently it was followed during data collection....she told....very .....

 

[Koovie]

India real literacy rate is around 30%.

Pakistans is 50%.

Most Indians fail all of the tests, and dont make it past secondary.

Quality > Quantity

Indian engineers have not been able to produce world class buildings and Indian doctors steal kidney of patients and sell it

Moreover, Indias average IQ is >82

You are stating numbers without a single source. Utter BS.

 

[Cherokee]

India real literacy rate is around 30%.

Pakistans is 50%.

Most Indians fail all of the tests, and dont make it past secondary.

Quality > Quantity

Indian engineers have not been able to produce world class buildings and Indian doctors steal kidney of patients and sell it

Moreover, Indias average IQ is >82

LOL . Average IQ less educated Indians have much more nobel prize than your nation will ever attain in next century .

Average IQ less educated Indians do not export poverty to the West .