Latest news with #AnnualStatusofEducationReport
New Indian Express
10 hours ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
The real push education in India needs
What is the defining purpose of education? Is it to make more people literate, create economic resources for a country, skill its population, reduce unemployment, or more? Mahatma Gandhi once said, 'Literacy in itself is no education…By education I mean an all-round drawing out of the best in the child and man-body, mind and spirit.' In that vein, education can be viewed as necessary to create thoughtful citizens with the skills to navigate an ever-changing world, who can engage and negotiate with the instruments of democratic rule and create a more inclusive, sustainable future. Today, the world is made increasingly uncertain by conflicts, climate change, and the unfettered growth of artificial intelligence. In these circumstances, education systems need to produce aware, young people with the skills necessary to solve the problems they are likely to face. Mechanical knowledge of subjects is no longer prized; it is the ability to put that knowledge to use that is viewed as important. The twin responsibilities of education systems, therefore, are to prepare young people for life and its challenges, and to ensure each young person learns effectively by providing them the opportunity to do so at their own pace. Given this, where do we stand today? From a policy perspective, setting aside for a moment the political discussions under way in different parts of the country, the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 provides a reasonable framework for progress—one that would help achieve the very goals mentioned. However, policy documents are one thing and practical implementation quite another—and it is in the latter that progress has been uneven, or we have often been found wanting. First, let's look at the foundation. The latest Annual Status of Education Report notes an uptick in reading and mathematical abilities among schoolchildren after the government's emphasis on early learning. However, that uptick starts from a low base; with only 25-45 percent of children across grades able to read or do simple maths, we are still far from where we need to be. The Unified District Information System for Education report for 2023-24 shows that only 54 percent of all schools have access to the internet while only 50 percent have functional computers for students.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Time of India
Child marriage cases in Noida fall from 16 to 6 in a yr
Noida: Six child marriages were stopped in the city in the last fiscal year, compared to 16 cases in the one preceding it. Groups working for children's welfare see this as signs of change in society. The state's high school droput rate for girls (15%), however, shows teenaged girls remain vulnerable to being married off early under pressure from families. Childline teams, which stopped the six marriages, said three were almost at the stage of rituals being performed when they intervened. Among them was a 15-year-old from Tigri village in Greater Noida West, rescued last Nov after a local playschool teacher alerted volunteers. In Dec 2024, two more 17-year-olds were rescued in Greater Noida's Rabupura and Jarcha. Adnan Usmani, coordinator of Childline's Noida unit, said fewer child marriages were reported last year, which indicated that fewer families were marrying off their children young in the city. "Child marriage has different causes in different places, but there are often commonalities linked to poverty and limited opportunities for girls," he said. "Gender inequality, stereotypes, weak laws, the fear of pregnancy outside of marriage and misinformation also contribute." Childline, which works for children in distress, ran a month-long awareness drive at schools, temples and marriage halls in May where they shared information on the child helpline number—1098—and encouraged people to report child marriages. "Community leaders, schools and even teenagers can play a crucial role in reporting underage brides," volunteer Yuvraj said. According to social activists, ending child marriage was possible only with income and economic interventions. "Child marriage cases are largely seen among economically poorer families that have come to the city for work. Once these families are stopped, they take the children back to their native towns, like Bihar, Jharkhand or Chhattisgarh, and marry the girls off. So, while statistics may show a reduction in child marriage for Noida, it may not necessarily have been stopped," Satya Prakash, CEO of FXB India Suraksha, told TOI. The NGO has been working for child welfare for the last 15 years. To prevent child marriages, the Directorate of Women and Child Development mandates that every intercepted child marriage case must be followed up on for at least three months. According to activists, one of the real indicators of a dip in child marriages is school enrolment or dropout rate. "Govts should analyse the dropout rates to get a complete picture. Often, girls are pulled out of school and forced into marriage once they cross the age of 15," Prakash said. The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), 2024, showed that while only 3.9% of children aged 6-14 were out of school in 2024, it went up to 4.6% for the 7-16 age group and 13% for the 15-16 category. The dropout rate was especially high among girls, reaching 15%, compared to 10.7% for boys. In March 2024, another study to identify children at risk of child marriage, undertaken on the directions of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPR), found UP has more than 5 lakh vulnerable children, mostly girls, who were school dropouts or had been irregular or absent from school for long without any intimation to authorities. Under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, marrying girls below 18 years and boys below 21 years is illegal. Those who perform, abet or promote such marriages can face up to two years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh, unless they can prove they believed the marriage did not involve minors.
Hans India
28-05-2025
- General
- Hans India
‘Vesavi Vennela' brings respite to kids through story cards, craft sessions
Visakhapatnam: Summer vacation is about listening to stories, narrating them back and getting a bit 'crafty' at the end of each session. As a motley group of teachers stretch themselves beyond classroom-teaching methods, they team up to make reading fun for primary school children studying in government schools through 'Vesavi Vennela'. An integral part of 'FROOTS' (foundation literacy and numeracy, remote teaching for government school children, online learning and support, one platform across the state, teaching collaboratively and student interactive) launched during the pandemic period, the summer engagement endeavour is meant to ease the process of learning among children. A group of over 30 government school teachers design bilingual story cards in Telugu and English and try to weave stories based on the pictorial representation and varied themes. 'Reading becomes so much more fun when we try to engage children in a creative manner and allow them to explore on their own. The story cards are not just meant to narrate stories but also help students read, learn and create,' explains Manga Rani, Headmistress of Sri Nagaraja Municipal Corporation Elementary School, Rajamahendravaram and part of the FROOTS team. Barring weekends, students connect through online links or WhatsApp groups to listen to stories followed by craft exercises. The stories narrated each day are then shared through audio or video recording and shared among school and teachers' groups. With the Annual Status of Education Report indicating a concerning decline in basic literacy levels among children, teachers from various parts of the state dedicate their time for students to take up virtual classes so that they contribute to improved learning outcomes. Kids try their hands at drawing, painting, puppetry, origami and other story-based activities. 'Vesavi Vennela classes are specially curated for children to make them comfortable while reading and learning. Teachers from each district design story cards and the themes change every week. During weekends, teachers, who are part of the FROOTS team, try to improvise the sessions through Zoom meetings,' says Velugoti Naresh, secondary grade teacher at MPPS Gottigundala BC, Kondapuram Mandal, Nellore. While summers are no longer a drab for primary school children, the sessions through 'Vesavi Vennela' spark curiosity among them in learning. Apparently, parents too find the platform engaging as they could see a shift among their wards in spending time with books, stories and crafts rather than with television and digital screens. Going forward, the teachers intend to incorporate assessments to understand the effectiveness of the summer engagement programme.
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Business Standard
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
UP's project for revamping govt schools highlighted at NDA CMs' conclave
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday highlighted the achievements of the state's flagship 'Project Alankaar' for revamping government schools at the NDA Chief Ministers' conclave in Delhi, an official statement said. The initiative received widespread appreciation at the conclave chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and many of the chief ministers expressed interest in replicating it in their states, the statement said. Launched on October 1, 2021, Project Alankaar aims to transform infrastructure and learning environments in 2,441 government secondary schools across Uttar Pradesh by achieving 100 per cent compliance with 35 infrastructure and facility benchmarks. The project has equipped schools with modern amenities such as new classrooms, science labs, libraries, computer labs and smart classrooms, creating an inclusive and conducive learning environment, the statement said. Funding for Project Alankaar comes from the state government, Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, Gram Panchayats, urban local bodies, corporate social responsibility (CSR) contributions, and voluntary donations. The project's implementation is monitored by district-level committees led by district magistrates and overseen by the director of education. The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2024 highlighted the project's impact, noting increased student enrolment and attendance. Enrolment in government secondary schools rose by 23 per cent between 2022-23 and 2024-25, attendance in primary schools (Classes 15) grew by 11.5 per cent from 2010 to 2024, and upper primary attendance (Classes 68) increased by 9.6 per cent from 2018 to 2024 -- the highest in the country. Library usage surged by 55.2 per cent, and access to girls' toilets improved by 54.4 per cent, the statement said. Chief Minister Model Schools (pre-primary to Class 12) and Chief Minister Abhyudaya Schools (pre-primary to Class 8) are also being developed under the project, including playgrounds, verandahs, electricity and internet connections, boundary walls, main gates, green spaces, storage rooms, staff rooms, stages, guard rooms, and deep freezers for mid-day meals. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Indian Express
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
At NDA CMs' meet, Yogi shines a spotlight on Project Alankaar
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday highlighted the achievements of the Uttar Pradesh government's flagship Project Alankaar during the NDA Chief Ministers' conclave which was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the national capital. Project Alankaar was launched to 'transform' the infrastructure and learning environment in government secondary schools across Uttar Pradesh. The meeting, which focused on sharing the best practices in governance, saw Project Alankar emerge as an example of effective educational reform, the state government said. Launched on October 1, 2021, the project seeks to achieve 100% compliance with 35 infrastructure and facility benchmarks in 2,441 government secondary schools across the state. Under the initiative, schools are equipped with essential and modern facilities such as newly constructed classrooms, science laboratories, libraries, computer laboratories, smart classrooms, clean drinking water, and hygienic toilets—creating a conducive and inclusive environment for learning. Funding for the Project Alankaar comes from various sources, including the state government, Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, gram panchayats, urban local bodies, corporate social responsibility (CSR) contributions and voluntary donations. The implementation is monitored by district-level committees chaired by the District Magistrate and overseen by the Director of Education at the state level. The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), 2024, reportedly stated that the project is encouraging children to attend and actively participate in learning. The government claims that enrollment in secondary schools increased by 23% between the sessions 2022-23 and 2024-25. Library usage in schools surged by 55.2% and access to girls' toilet facilities improved by 54.4%.
