Itanagar, Jan 28: Arunachal Pradesh is witnessing a promising transformation in its education sector, with encouraging progress in early childhood enrolment and foundational skills.
However, the state continues to grapple with significant issues in infrastructure and policy implementation, as highlighted by the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2024.
The survey, conducted by the Pratham Education Foundation, covered 4,160 households and over 6,300 children across rural Arunachal.
While the findings celebrate advancements in school enrolment, literacy, and digital skills, they also highlight enduring gaps in foundational learning and the poor state of school infrastructure.
A strong start for young learners: Early childhood education programs in Arunachal Pradesh have experienced a significant boost, with nearly 70 percent of children aged 3-5 now enrolled in preschools.
This improvement reflects an enhanced focus on providing young learners with a solid start to their educational journey.
A noteworthy reduction in the number of underage children enrolled in Grade 1, now down to 21.3 percent, indicates adherence to enrolment policies that promote age-appropriate admissions.
Near-universal enrolment: Enrolment among children aged 6-14 remains robust at 97.2 percent, maintaining a level consistent with national trends. Government schools continue to cater to the majority of students, but private school enrolments have rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, demonstrating a shift in parental preferences in the post-COVID era.
Recovery in learning levels post-COVID: The pandemic had disrupted education nationwide, but Arunachal Pradesh has shown resilience in recovering learning outcomes. Foundational literacy and numeracy levels have witnessed significant improvements. Among Grade 3 students, reading proficiency at a Grade 2 level has increased by 8.7 percentage points since 2022, outpacing the national average of 6.5 percentage points.
However, the data reveals that children in private schools have made greater learning gains compared to their counterparts in government institutions.
Digital literacy; A bright spot: Digital literacy among adolescents has emerged as a strong aspect of education in Arunachal Pradesh. The vast majority of children aged 14-16, with 97.4 percent having access to smartphones at home, reported being able to use them effectively. A large proportion of these adolescents demonstrated proficiency in completing digital tasks such as setting alarms, browsing, and sharing videos, surpassing national averages. This trend highlights the potential for digital tools to complement traditional classroom education.
Infrastructure gaps: Despite progress in some areas, the state’s school infrastructure remains a significant challenge. The survey reveals that only 58.8 percent of schools have usable girls’ toilets, a figure well below the national average of 72 percent. Mid-day meals, an essential component of government school programs, were provided in just 55.3 percent of schools on the day of the survey, far below the national figure of 91.9 percent. Libraries are another underutilized resource, with only 9.3 percent of schools reporting active use of library books.
Policy implementation falling short: The report also sheds light on challenges in implementing foundational literacy and numeracy programs. Many schools lack adequately trained teachers, with only 46 percent reporting the presence of FLN-trained educators. The availability of teaching-learning materials for these programs remains limited, with only 53.3 percent of schools having received them, compared to 74.5 percent nationally. Additionally, just 21.8 percent of schools received funds to support FLN programs, reflecting a serious gap in policy execution.
Gender trends: Gender dynamics in school enrolment reveal that more girls than boys in the 15-16 age group remain enrolled. Although the percentage of out-of-school children remains below 10 percent for both genders, a decline in boys’ enrolment raises concerns. With the Right to Education Act covering children aged 6-14, retaining older students, particularly boys, becomes an area that requires focused intervention.
The road ahead: The ASER 2024 report paints a mixed picture of education in Arunachal Pradesh. While there have been significant strides in early childhood education and foundational literacy, challenges in infrastructure and uneven policy implementation persist. The report emphasizes the urgent need to improve school infrastructure, enhance teacher training for FLN programs, and leverage the high penetration of smartphones to integrate digital tools into education. Additionally, initiatives aimed at retaining boys in the 15-16 age group are critical to maintaining balanced enrolment rates.
Collaboration among policymakers, educators, and communities is essential to addressing these challenges and ensuring that progress in education is sustained. With a concerted effort, Arunachal has the potential to bridge the gaps and secure quality education for every child in the state.