ASER Status of Education Report (Rural) 2008

Assessing the Indian education system

ASER tools tracks the efficacy of the Indian education system annually. It provides evidence on efforts that have worked and those that have failed. This document presents ASER’s findings in 2008.

ASER added new research elements to the basic tool to include information on whether children can tell time, use a timetable, read maps, use currency and identify famous people. The report presents evidence of increasing school enrollment in 2008. Other findings include:

• 95.7 percent children in the age group 6-14 are enrolled in some form of elementary school, but the official dropout rate is high at 49 percent;
• Learning levels seem to be stagnant or declining;
• Private schools have maintained a higher level than government schools;
• Percentage of children in age group 6-14 enrolled in private schools increased to 22.5 percent in 2008;
• Many children going to government schools are also enrolled in private schools;
• Role of private schools is likely to be of increasing importance in the future.