The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Report points to poor learning levels

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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Report points to poor learning levels

Meera Srinivasan

The survey covered a sample size of 31,000 children across 870 villages in 29 districts

CHENNAI: The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) for Tamil Nadu for 2008 has pointed to poor levels of learning in rural schools across the State.

The report, facilitated by non-governmental organisation Pratham, was released here on Monday.

Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia released the national report in New Delhi on January 13.

Pratham partnered other NGOs for conducting the survey in different States. In Tamil Nadu, it involved Kalvi, a network of activists and groups seeking to promote educational reforms, which coordinated with 22 NGOs and a college.

The survey, undertaken from October 15 to November 15, 2008, covered a sample size of 31,000 children across 870 villages in 29 districts.

Reading ability

Only 54.7 per cent of the children in classes one and two were able to read letters, as against the national average of 75.4 per cent. Similarly, among children in class three-five, only 45.7 per cent could read simple text, while the national average was 66.6 per cent. The text given to students was in Tamil.

In mathematical ability, 62.6 per cent of the children in classes one and two could recognise numbers and only 36.3 in class three-five could do subtraction.

Speaking at the meeting, V. Vasanthi Devi of Kalvi said: “Enrolment is one area where we set an example. Among children aged 6-14, Tamil Nadu has 99.4 per cent, but when it comes to reading abilities of children in class three-five, the State is at the bottom, accompanied by Uttar Pradesh and Puducherry.”

Implications

According to Rukmini Banerji, director, ASER Centre, New Delhi, Tamil Nadu’s performance had implications for other States, as they looked to the State to lead the way.

“In terms of infrastructure, the number of schools, teachers and enrolment, Tamil Nadu is a model; but despite all this, the survey points to learning levels that are not satisfactory.”

S.S. Rajagopalan of Kalvi said the report was a matter of great concern. “If everything else is fine and fundamental learning is problematic, how will the children proceed,” he asked.

Methodology

Explaining the methodology used for the survey, Willima Wadhwa, ASER-New Delhi, said the survey was carried out at the homes of children. They were given very simple text such as letter, small words, few sentences and a small passage. In mathematics, the scale was from the ability to identify numbers from 1 to 9 to that of performing simple arithmetic operations.

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