Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2024: The report shows a modest recovery in foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) among school students after COVID-19 learning losses.

• About: The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) entails a widespread household survey led by citizens.

o Facilitated by: Pratham Education Foundation since 2005

o Aim: To ascertain if children in rural India are enrolled in school and if they are acquiring knowledge.

o Scope: It gathers information on the enrollment status of children aged 3-16 years and assesses the basic reading and arithmetic levels of children aged 5-16 years.

o Survey is conducted: Every alternate year.

o Goal: 100% Gross Enrollment Ratio target by 2030, careful tracking of enrollment and learning levels to facilitate catch-up.

• Key highlights of the ASER 2024: Survey of 6.5 lakh children across 605 villages.
• Purpose: Assess foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) skills post-COVID.

o Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) refers to basic skills in reading, writing & mathematics.

• Findings: Modest recovery compared to pre-COVID 2018 levels but majority still lagging.
• Reading skills: A majority of Class 3 and 5 students still struggle with reading at Class 2 level, while 67.5% of Class 8 students can read it.
• Math skills: Many students in Class 3 and 5 still face difficulties in basic arithmetic, with slight improvements observed in division and subtraction skills.
• School Readiness: 75% schools implementing a 3-month readiness program for incoming Grade 1 students.

o Improvement in skills across states, especially Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, Sikkim, and Mizoram (10%+ increase).

• Digital Literacy:

o Older Teens (14-16 years): 89% have access to smartphones; 31.4% own one.

o Usage: 57% use smartphones for education; 76% for social media.

o Skills: 92.1% can share videos on WhatsApp/Telegram.

o Safety: Boys more aware of phone safety features than girls (e.g., blocking profiles, making profiles private).