State of Elementary Education in Rural India 2023

• 09 Aug 2023

For Prelims: State of Elementary Education in Rural India, Prevalence of Smartphone Usage, Entertainment over Educational Activities.

For Mains: State of Elementary Education in Rural India.

Source: TH

Why in News?

Recently, the Ministry of Education has released the State of Elementary Education in Rural India - 2023 report, highlighting the Prevalence of Smartphone Usage among students.

• The report was based on a survey conducted by the Development Intelligence Unit (DIU), a collaboration between NGO Transform Rural India and Sambodhi Research and Communications.
• The survey gathered responses from 6,229 parents of schoolchildren aged 6–16 in rural communities across 21 States.

What are the Key Findings of the Survey?

• Smartphone Usage and Entertainment:
  • 49.3% have access to smartphones. 76.7% of parents indicated that their children primarily use smartphones for playing video games, indicating a preference for entertainment over educational activities.
  • Additionally, 56.6% of students use smartphones to download and watch movies, while 47.3% use them to download and listen to music.
  • In contrast, only 34% of students use smartphones for study-related downloads, and a mere 18% access online learning via tutorials.

• Differential Access Based on Class:
  • Smartphone access varies across different class levels. Students in higher classes (Class VIII and above) have greater access to smartphones (58.32%), while even younger students (Classes I–III) show considerable access (42.1%).
  • This indicates that smartphone usage for entertainment is prevalent across age groups, potentially impacting their educational engagement.
• Parental Aspirations and Engagement:
  • 78% of parents aspire for their children to attain graduation-level education or above, however, there is a gap in parental engagement.
  • Only 40% of parents have daily conversations with their children about their school learning, while 32% engage in such conversations a few days a week.
• Reasons for School Dropout:
  • For girls, 36.8% of parents mentioned that the need to contribute to family earnings led to their daughters dropping out.
    • Meanwhile, 31.6% attributed the dropout to their child's lack of interest in studies, and 21.1% believed household responsibilities played a role.
  • For boys, the primary reason for dropping out was a lack of interest in studies, cited by 71.8% of respondents, followed by 48.7% stating the need for boys to contribute to family earnings.
• Parent-Teacher Meetings and Learning Environment:
  • 84% of parents reported regular attendance. Nonetheless, the two main reasons for non-attendance, are short notice and a lack of willingness.
  • Additionally, the availability of age-appropriate reading materials other than textbooks was reported by 40% of parents, highlighting the need for further resources to support children's learning at home.

What are the Recommendations?

• The findings emphasize the need for targeted efforts to enhance the educational environment at home and promote a balanced use of smartphones for both entertainment and learning purposes.