Learning outcomes repeatedly poor, says child rights activist
Hyderabad:The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2024 on foundation learning in the state portrayed a varied picture. Overall enrollment rate also has dropped marginally.
Speaking on the poor learning outcomes when it cames to foundational literacy and numeracy, Dr Shantha Sinha, child rights activist and former chairperson of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), told Deccan Chronicle: “We are repeatedly facing poor learning outcomes, which can only be resolved with equity in access, adequate infrastructure, and a sufficient number of well-trained teachers.”
“There needs to be at least 15% budgetary allocation for education to address these issues. The current number of teachers is disproportionate to the population of children and that impacts the quality of education.”
Among Classes III to V students, only 18 per cent can read a Class II-level text, according to the ASER report, and just 49 per cent can perform basic subtraction. For Classes VI to VIII, 46.4 per cent can read at the same level, and 34.7 per cent can do division.
Telangana was also among the states that had shown decline in government schools over the years along with Punjab and Andhra Pradesh, according to the report.
There were quite a few noticeable improvements too, especially in a couple of districts like Rangareddy and Mahbubnagar. “The little learning achievements we see today are through the efforts of children themselves. They are learning in spite of the system, not because of it,” said Dr Sinha.
Ch. Ravi, general secretary of the Telangana State United Teachers Federation (TSUTF), stated inadequate teacher supervision and infrastructure remained a problem. “The recent recruitment of 11,000 teachers is a step forward, but any improvements will take time to materialise,” he said.
On the matter of digital literacy and use of smartphones, Dr Sinha noted, “Teachers are not trained on how to use smartphones effectively to enhance learning. While children have access to a phone, there needs to be facilitation for those who do.”
With regard to only nine per cent of schools providing computers for students, far below the national average of 27.4 per cent, Dr Sinha said: “The question we need to ask is, why do we need computers in the first place? It is crucial to first make sure the basics outlined in the Right to Education (RTE) Act are met like adequate classrooms, sufficient teachers, and essential infrastructure.
She said that once these were in place should the government consider providing computers, which often seem to serve the interests of those distributing them rather than addressing the real needs of children.
