ASER 2023 Report Highlights Educational Challenges Faced by Adolescents in Hathras and Varanasi

Varanasi, 17th January 2024: The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2023, titled “Beyond Basics,” has brought to light significant educational challenges faced by adolescents in Hathras and Varanasi, two districts in Uttar Pradesh. The survey, conducted by the Pratham Foundation, focused on 28 districts across 26 states, surveying 34,745 students aged 14-18 in both government and private institutes.

In Hathras, 27% of adolescents aged 14-18 struggle to read fluently at a Class 2 level in Hindi, with 43.2% unable to comprehend English sentences, and 44.4% facing challenges in division. Additional findings indicate that 54% cannot calculate time, 73% struggle with measuring length, and 46% face challenges applying the unitary method. Even among those who can read at least a Class 1 level text, 38% cannot understand the text on a medicine packet and answer at least three out of four related questions.

In Varanasi, 18% of adolescents face similar difficulties in Hindi, with 41.2% struggling in English and 46.4% in division. Additionally, 59% cannot calculate time, 62% struggle with measuring length, and 34.5% of those who can read at least a Class 1 level text cannot understand the text on a medicine packet and answer three out of four related questions.

The report emphasizes that for arithmetic tasks, such as managing a budget, applying a discount, and calculating repayment, a significant percentage of students in both districts face challenges. Notably, males generally outperform females in application-based tasks.