Annual Status of Education Report (ASER 2016) released

The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER 2016) was released in the second week of January 2017 in New Delhi.

ASER is the largest annual household survey in rural India that focuses on the status of children's schooling and basic learning.

The survey is facilitated by NGO Pratham. It is carried out by volunteers from local partner organizations in almost all rural districts of India.

Key highlights of the survey

• The survey was carried out in 17473 villages, covering 350232 households and 562305 children in the age group 3-16.

• Enrolment for the age group 6-14 has been 96 per cent or above since 2009. The proportion increased from 96.7 per cent in 2014 to 96.9 per cent in 2016.

• At the all India level, the proportion of children (age 6-14) enrolled in private schools is at 30.5 per cent in 2016.

• On a national level, the proportion of children in Class III who are able to read at least Class I level text has gone up slightly, from 40.2 per cent in 2014 to 42.5 per cent in 2016.

• Children's ability to read English is slightly improved in Class III. In 2016, 32 per cent children in Class III could read simple words in English as compared to 28.5 per cent in 2009.

• Drinking water was available in 74.1 per cent of the schools that were visited in 2016, down from 75.6 per cent in 2014.