The report also revealed that only 35.9 per cent students are able to do division in mathematics. Similarly, about 53.6 per cent of students can read sentences in English correctly. Moreover, the number of students who are able to do subtraction in mathematics is also very poor.
Reacting over the development, the educationists and guardians in the district expressed their concerns over the poor educational status of the students. According to them, the Covid-19-induced lockdown, lack of coordination among the teachers and the students are some of the main reasons behind the poor educational standards of the students.
“The students are getting neglected at the primary level in learning the alphabets and numbers properly. As a result, they are facing lots of problems in reading sentences and working out mathematics at the upper primary schools,” observed a teacher at Badabahal School in Rairakhol.
“Students do not get personal attention in schools by their teachers. As a result, poor students lack the opportunity to improve their standards. Moreover, lack of coordination between students and the teachers is also one of the main reasons behind the poor standard of students,” said Sanjay Bohidar, a local guardian.
Minarani Mangal, the District Education Officer (DEO) of Sambalpur, however, proffered a caution reaction to the development.
“I don’t believe the students are so poor. However, we will examine the ASER findings and hold a special meeting on how to bring a turnaround in the education system,” said the DEO.
ASER is a nationwide household survey that captures the status of children’s enrolment and learning outcomes in rural India.
