Student Proficiency and Challenges in Sleep Calculation
1. Data: Around only 42 per cent of the students surveyed could calculate the number of hours a child had slept based on the time they went to bed at night and woke up in the morning. When the ruler was not placed on 0, less than 40 per cent could give the right answer (Hindustan Times). About 25% of this age group still cannot read a Std II level text fluently in their regional language. “A little over half can read sentences in English (57.3%).
Causes: According to India’s latest Economic Survey 2022-23, total education outlay, including both national and state level expenditure, added up to 2.9 per cent of the country’s 2022 GDP – a proportion that has remained constant for the last four years. This indicates that the budget for education is not enough in India. The existing resources, the textbooks, schools, teachers are not really helpful for rural students to get quality education. Many more things need to be achieved in order to give better access to education for rural students. This can be done by allocating an adequate budget on education and ensuring this budget is used effectively.
Educational Enrollment Rates Among 14-18 Year Olds
2. Data: 86.8 percent of 14-18-year-olds were found to be enrolled in an educational institution. The percentage of youth not enrolled in any school or college was highest for 18 year olds at 32.6 percent (Outlook India).
Causes: Although the enrollments have increased, it’s still not enough. Enrollment is the first step for sure, however what happens after that is the most important factor. The students must receive a better quality of education with basic fundamental skills developed strongly.
Challenges in Basic Math Skills Among Rural Students
3. Data: Students aged between 14 and 18 years old in rural India struggle to solve basic three-digit division problems. In most tasks with respect to basic calculations, boys performed better than girls. For example, 45 percent boys in the 14-18 age group could do at least division as compared to only 41.8 percent girls. (The Quint)
Causes: The data highlights two major things, first it questions the education system in rural India, and second the impacts of intersectionality on girls. Girls in rural India face many barriers to access education. According to the International Journal of Advanced Education and Research Education, the most prominent barrier is the non-availability of appropriate infrastructure of schools. Secondly, the travel time taken in reaching school, fear of crime also affects their education. Additionally, the concept in rural families of early marriages is an important factor that needs to be addressed. There needs to be a proper infrastructure in schools especially for girls as they go through menstrual cycles every month, a hygienic washroom and sufficient facilities to make learning a better experience are required. Moreover, there needs to be an awareness program and legal actions taken on early girl marriage. More safe transport or building more schools in different areas can be done so that girls can attend schools safely.
Smartphone Usage and Online Safety Awareness Among Rural Students
4. Data: Close to 90 per cent of all youth had a smartphone in the household and knew how to use it. Almost half of them had no knowledge of how to be safe online – 52 percent were able to report/block a profile; 48 percent know how to make a profile private and 52 percent know how to change a password (Outlook India). Nearly 80% of the surveyed children reported having used their smartphones for entertainment-related activities (Times of India).
Causes: Access to smartphones in this era can be a positive thing, however if the usage is not done for the right purpose it can cause more harm than good. Lack of digital literacy among rural children can have negative consequences like wastage of time, disturbed mental well being etc. Hence using technology for the right purpose is important. Technology can be a solution for better access to education. Online learning can be done using devices. There can be different online portals made for students for career guidance and educational purposes. Learning from home can be an option for the students who cannot attend school or who need extra practice.
Rural Youth Aspirations and Career Choices by Gender and Stream
5. Data: One out of every five youth were unable to name any type of work or job that they aspired to (Hindustan Times). Professional aspirations are clearly driven by gender, with Army (13.8%) and police (13.6%) emerging as top two choices among the boys. Teachers (16%) and doctors (12.5%) with police (12.5%) emerging as the third most popular choice among girls. Humanities is the top choice among rural children in the age group of 14-18 with 55.7% of students in Class XI or higher in this stream (Times of India).
Causes: Lack of career counseling is also an issue in rural areas. Lack of guidance and information keeps limited options with children. They follow what they see. Their career choices are limited to certain sectors like police, doctor. Lack of awareness does not allow these children to explore other fields even and build a career according to that. Hence, more career guidance programs must be enrolled in rural India.
Why should we care about rural education?
Close to 68 percent of the ‘youth’ in our country reside in our villages per the Central Statistics Office. India is a country which has many social issues like caste discrimination, economic inequality, unemployment and many more. These factors affect the economic growth of our country. In order to achieve economic growth education is an important factor which will lead to this change.
Unemployment is also a major issue that India faces. Education will lead to economic growth while ultimately lowers the unemployment rates. India needs a strong, productive workforce. Thomas Piketty, a famous French economist states that, “Over the long run, to achieve that economic progress, education and technology are the decisive forces.”