ISAS Insights

The 2017 Annual Status of Education Report released in January 2018 revealed that while India has achieved near universal enrollment, the quality of learning in schools has not only been poor, but has also deteriorated over the years. After eight years of schooling, more than a quarter of the children are unable to read a Standard 2 text, and nearly three out of five are not able to solve a simple three-digit by one-digit division sum. The learning deficiencies have widened over the past 10 years, raising serious questions about the value imparted by Indian primary and secondary schools, and the cognitive skills, capabilities and prospects of its youth as they enter an increasingly uncertain and demanding workforce. This paper attempts to delineate the reasons behind the poor performance and its consequences