Many rural schools short of basic needs-ASER survey also finds comprehension levels of students to be low at primary level

• Notwithstanding the claims of the State Government about improving the social and physical infrastructure in schools in the rural areas by providing ample funds, 42.8% schools have no drinking water facility and 23% schools have no usable toilet facility.
• Another shortcoming is that 28% schools in the rural areas of Telangana do not have usable separate toilets for girls, although the Centre has been very much vocal in its campaign of “Beti bachao and beti padhao” (protect and educate the girl child).
• These are among many the findings about social and physical infrastructure in the schools of rural areas in 2018 Annual Status of Education Report (ASER).
• ASER is a centre established in 2008 as an autonomous assessment, survey, evaluation and research of the Pratham, an NGO, network.
• In its recent report, ASER has found that 20.4% rural government schools have no drinking water facility and another 22.4% have the facility, but with no supply of drinking water.
• On the learning process of children, the report has pointed out that only 18% Std-III students read Std-II level text including 12.6% in government schools and 24.4% in private schools.
• Similarly, only 34.5% students in Std-III can do two-digit subtraction of Std-II level with 30.6% capable of doing it in government schools and 38.9% in private schools.

The Hindu