ASER report says government schools are far behind to private schools

Pothashang News Service: Imphal, January 17, 2019: Annual Status of Education (ASER) Report 2018 released on January 15 at New Delhi indicates that government schools are far behind the private schools qualitatively and quantitatively.

ASER is a household survey that assesses foundational skills like reading and arithmetic of children in the age group 5 to 16 years.

ASER surveyed nine districts of Manipur in which 270 villages, 5104 households, 7802 children (age 3-16), were surveyed by 200 volunteers with the help of 9 partner organisations.

ASER is felicitated by Pratham Education Foundation.

The report says enrolment of students in private school is recorded as highest in the country which is 70.7 percent whereas Tripura Assam and India is recorded as 14, 25.8 and 32 respectively.

On the other hand for government school enrolment of students is high but it has low attendance both in lower primary and upper primary level which is recorded as 57.8 percent and 72.3 percent.

Reading level of students of lower primary is slightly better as compared with last year record, 2018 record of ASER shows that reading level of lower primary standard is 35.8 percent for both private and government schools.

Reading level of standard in private school is recorded as 42.2 percent for government schools it is recorded as 24.5 percent. For upper primary standard reading level is recorded declining as compared with last year report.

In upper primary level for private school students reading level is slightly same which is 74 percent but for government school students it is recorded as 50.6 percent which was 64.7 percent in last year report.

About 91 percent of schools do not have proper library. School facility or infrastructure remains in a worrisome condition. However, in South India state, it reaches almost 100% performing well above national average.

As per record only 15.4 percent of usable toilets for girls were found during the survey and also found that 6.5 percent of water provisions usable were recorded in the state for children of lower and upper primary students.

The report also found that Manipur is the 5th highest state in private tuition culture after Odisha, Bihar, West Bengal and Tripura.