ASER 2024 reveals alarming decline in education quality across schools in Karnataka

As students progress from one grade to the next in schools across Karnataka, many are struggling with basic skills like reading, critical thinking, and understanding fundamental topics.

The latest Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2024 highlights that while enrollment numbers may appear strong, the quality of education is rapidly declining.

Schools are grappling with significant gaps in learning and infrastructure, and even students who attend regularly are falling behind in essential skills such as math, reading, and problem-solving.

Rural students, in particular, are the most affected, with government schools facing challenges like inconsistent attendance, limited parental support, and an increasing digital divide.

One thing is evident from the data as policymakers push for new models and frameworks: Karnataka's education system is not just having difficulties but is also falling behind by a generation.

With the help of the non-profit organization (NGO) Pratham, the report sought to fill up the holes in the educational system.

It includes 605 rural districts in India and 30 districts in Karnataka.

According to data from 30 Karnataka districts, 39.8% of first-grade children can read letters but not words, while 32.7% of them are unable to recognize any letters at all.

Despite optimistic claims, literacy levels among fifth-standard students are still insufficient, as evidenced by the fact that just 34% of them can read a text at the second standard level.

Furthermore, reading competence varies by gender across all grade levels.

The gender gap is growing in higher grades, with boys falling behind girls in Std III, V, and VIII in 2024 when it comes to reading a text at the Std II level.

According to longitudinal data collected between 2014 and 2024, there are notable differences between government and private schools, even though the percentage of students who can read a text at the Std II level has somewhat improved in some years.

For instance, students attending private schools outperform those attending public schools in Std III.

However, the disparity has narrowed over time, according to the research, with a 2024 number indicating that 60.3% of students in private schools and 37.8% of students in government schools can read texts at the Std II level.

According to the results, 89% of Std I and 87.7% of Std II students in Karnataka's primary schools were seated with students from other levels in 2024.

Multigrade settings were reported in 77.9% of Std I children and 78.3% of Std II children in upper primary or higher schools.

Experts blame low enrollment institutions, single-teacher schools, and multigrade classes for the startling drop in reading and learning proficiency.

In addition to more than 6,150 single teachers in schools and many multigrade schools where students from classes I, II, and III are compelled to learn together under the supervision of a single teacher, Karnataka has at least 43,000 open teaching positions.

“How can we be shocked when a third grader is struggling to keep up? This system is flawed, and expecting success under such conditions is unrealistic,” development educationist Prof Niranjanaradhya VP said.

The report highlights that smartphones have become a common part of children’s lives, with 94.5% of those aged 14-16 having access to one at home.

While this shows the growing presence of digital technology, it also raises concerns about whether smartphones are being used for education or if they are creating a dependency that pulls children away from necessary physical activities and social interactions.

Around 64.4% of children reported using smartphones for learning, but 70.6% were also engaged in social media.

Even when smartphones are used for studying, it's not clear whether this means watching educational videos, reading online notes, or just having a study app open while being distracted by notifications.

“At an age when physical activity, outdoor play, and direct human interaction are essential for cognitive and emotional development, is growing reliance on smartphones leading children away from experiences that shape their overall well-being?” questioned child rights activist Vasudev Sharma.

“Technology is necessary, but the way it is introduced matters. If learning becomes too dependent on digital tools, it could affect attention spans, creativity, and real-world social skills. Instead of encouraging a balance, are we unknowingly normalising a system where children see screens as the default solution for education, entertainment and communication, leaving little room for anything else?” he added.

According to specialists, this is digital dependency rather than digital literacy, and if the trend persists, it will cause mental health issues at a very young age.

Data shows that over the years, more schools have been allocating time for physical education, particularly at the primary level, where the percentage increased from 59.7% in 2020 to 86.5% in 2024.

However, the challenge of having a dedicated physical education teacher persists.

According to specialists, this is digital dependency rather than digital literacy, and if the trend persists, it will cause mental health issues at a very young age.

Particularly at the primary level, where it rose from 59.7% in 2020 to 86.5% in 2024, data indicates that more schools have been setting aside time for physical education over time.

Finding a committed physical education instructor is still difficult, though.

The proportion of schools with a distinct physical education teacher in upper primary and higher grades has drastically decreased, falling from 42.3% in 2018 to just 25.1% in 2024.

Increasingly, schools are depending on professors of other subjects to teach physical education instead.