GUWAHATI: Assam’s school children have shown improvement in foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN), particularly from those institutions in rural areas across the state. This was revealed in the latest Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) for 2024.
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Among Class 3 students in rural Assam, 5.9% could not previously recognise numbers from 1 to 9, while 3.9% could solve division problems. Similarly, 8% of Class 3 students could not read letters, and only 18.2% could read a Class 2-level text.
The data reveals three trends from 2014 to 2024: an improvement in basic skills between 2016 and 2018, a decline due to COVID-19 between 2018 and 2022, and a recovery post-pandemic. In Class 2, learning levels in 2024 returned to pre-COVID levels, while Class 3 students in government schools showed greater improvement than those in private schools.
Another positive trend recorded in the report is the rise in enrolment. In 2024, 81.1% of 3-year-olds and 68% of 4-year-olds were enrolled in Anganwadis in rural Assam, surpassing the national figures of 66.8% and 57.7%, respectively. More children are also entering Class 1 at the right age of six years or older.
For children aged 6-14, Assam has recorded enrolment levels above 99% since 2022, higher than the national average of 98.1% in 2024. Private school enrolment has been increasing in the state, reflecting a national trend where around 30% of rural children in this age group attend private institutions.
While challenges remain, the overall trend indicates progress in reading and arithmetic skills, especially in government schools.