VIKAS SHARMA
JAMMU, AUG 30: In what could be a serious concern, the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER-Rural) 2024 has raised serious concerns over the learning outcomes of students enrolled in the schools in rural areas in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Jammu and Kashmir’s rural education system requires targeted interventions to bridge the learning gap and raise overall academic performance, especially in Mathematics and Reading Comprehension.
According to the report, only 26.8 percent of Standard III–V students in J&K could read at least a Std II level text, while 46 percent could do at least subtraction. District-wise disparities were stark — Kulgam (38 percent) and Jammu (36.3 percent) performed better in reading skills, while Rajouri (18.5 percent) and Reasi (16.4 percent) lagged behind.
Among Standard VI–VIII students, 50.5 percent could read at least a Std II level text, and 31.3 percent could solve division problems. Again, variations were evident — Jammu (66.1 percent) and Baramulla (61.7 percent) reported higher reading levels, whereas Rajouri (40 percent) and Reasi (41.3 percent) trailed.
In arithmetic, Bandipore (47.8 percent) and Baramulla (44.8 percent) showed relatively better performance, but many districts including Reasi (29.1 percent) and Poonch (17.3 percent) reflected alarmingly low division skills.
Further, 57.2 percent of children (age 6–14) in J&K are enrolled in government schools, with districts like Reasi (80.1 percent), Kishtwar (74.3percent), Doda (73.2 percent) and Kupwara (72.3percent) reporting some of the highest government school enrollments. In contrast, Samba (36.7 percent), Jammu (41.0 percent) and Rajouri (54.5 percent) recorded significantly lower percentages, indicating a stronger preference for private schooling in these areas.
The percentage of children not enrolled in school stands at 0.6 percent across J&K, with most districts showing very low dropout figures. However, Pulwama (1.3 percent) and Anantnag (1.8 percent) still reported slightly higher numbers of children out of school compared to other districts.
“While government school enrollment has improved in several districts, the low foundational learning levels pose a major challenge. The report underscores the urgent need for remedial teaching, teacher training, and community engagement to ensure that children not only attend school but also achieve basic literacy and numeracy skills”, school education experts said.
Pertinently, the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 opened up new opportunities for building strong foundations for children’s education in India. The policy states that “currently, children in the age group of 3-6 are not covered in the 10+2 structure as Class 1 begins at age 6.
In the new 5+3+3+4 structure, a strong base of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) from age 3 is also included, which is aimed at promoting better overall learning, development, and well-being”.
Bringing the age group of 3-6 into the ambit of the education structure is one of the key new elements in the policy. NEP 2020 states that for ages 3-8, three years of early childhood education and two years of formal schooling will together be the “foundational stage” for education in India.
While the importance of investing in children’s early years has been well researched for years, this is the first time in India that the pre-school age group has become part of the population that the education system has to consider.
The policy recommends that “Strong investment in ECCE has the potential to give all young children such access, enabling them to participate and flourish in the educational system throughout their lives.
Universal provisioning of quality early childhood development, care, and education must thus be achieved as soon as possible, and no later than 2030, to ensure that all students entering Grade 1 are school ready.
The policy outlines several pathways for ensuring that young children have exposure to early childhood education. Children can be enrolled in Anganwadi Centres, also known as ICDS centres.
Another option is pre-primary classes in government primary schools. Additionally, children could be enrolled in LKG/UKG in private schools or in free-standing early childhood education centres.
