Maharashtra school education dept responds to ASER report, says survey covered only minuscule percentage

In response to the recently released Annual Status of Education Report ASER by the Pratham Education Foundation the Maharashtra School Education Department issued a clarification on Sunday evening regarding several figures presented in the reportThe department emphasized that the ASER survey covered only a minuscule percentage of the total schools and students in Maharashtra raising concerns about the accuracy and representation of the findingsThe statement reads ASER report which is focused on rural schools highlighting various aspects of education including digital access enrollment trends and proficiency in reading and mathematics However according to the Maharashtra Primary Education Council the survey was conducted in just 872 schools representing only 08137 of the states total 108144 schoolsmdashand included just 33746 students which accounts for a mere 01637 of the states 20961800 schoolgoing childrenThe education department also pointed out discrepancies in the report regarding digital infrastructure ASER stated that only 20437 of students use computers whereas the department clarified that 729537 of schools have computer facilities contradicting the claim that 48337 of schools lack access to computers Additionally it stated that 96837 of schools have proper toilet facilities for girls ensuring better hygiene standardsAccording to the ASER report 60937 of children aged 6 to 14 are enrolled in government schools while 38537 attend private schools The report also highlighted an improvement in foundational literacy and numeracy skills among younger students particularly those in Grades 1 and 2 Learning loss due to the COVID19 pandemic is reportedly being recovered especially among thirdgrade studentsThe statement reads Government school reading proficiency improved by 10937 between 2022 and 2024 while private schools saw an 8137 rise Mathematical skills in government schools improved by 13137 while private schools recorded an 11537 increase Maharashtra ranks among the top five states in mathematical proficiency growth for thirdgrade students with a 1337 increase from 2022 to 2024Maharashtra has one of the lowest numbers of outofschool children with 9837 of students aged 1516 enrolled in schools Additionally 94237 of students aged 1416 have access to smartphones at home with 84137 being able to use them About 63337 of students use smartphones for educational purposes while 72737 use them for social mediaThe department highlighted that the enrollment for threeyearolds in preprimary education has increased from 93937 in 2022 to 9537 in 2024 The total school enrollment rate for children aged 614 has remained above 9937 for the past eight years Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic the enrollment rate increased from 99237 in 2018 to 99637 in 2022 remaining stable in 2024 The percentage of outofschool children in Maharashtra is at 0437 significantly lower than the national average of 1937The Maharashtra School Education Department has reiterated that while samplebased surveys like ASER provide valuable insights their findings must be interpreted cautiously due to their limited scope With less than 137 of the total schools surveyed and a very small fraction of students covered the department believes that broader datasets such as those from the Unified District Information System for Education UDISE provide a more accurate representation of the statersquos educational landscape it statedAn official from the department stressed that Maharashtra has made significant strides in improving school infrastructure digital access and learning outcomes and the state remains committed to further enhancing the quality of educationWhile ASER provides a grassrootslevel snapshot Maharashtras school education department argues that a more inclusive and extensive survey framework is necessary for a holistic evaluation of Maharashtrarsquos educational progress