Lok Sabha Question No. 561 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-02-06
Subject: Children's ability to read Hindi
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: RAVINDRA KUMAR RAY

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

## DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 561 TO BE ANSWERED ON 6.2.2017

## Children's ability to read Hindi

## †561. DR. RAVINDRA KUMAR RAY:

Will the Minister of HUMAN  RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT  be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has taken notice that fifty per cent of the students in  Class  V  are  not  able  to  read  Hindi  books  prescribed  in  Class  II curriculum  as  per  a  survey  conducted  in  rural  schools  by  a  voluntary organisation  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  action  taken/ proposed to be taken by the Government to improve the situation; and
- (b) whether the Government proposes to constitute any Inquiry Commission to prepare a report in this regard and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (SHRI UPENDRA KUSHWAHA)

(a):  Yes,  Madam.  PRATHAM,  a  non-governmental  organization  conducts annual  achievement  surveys  released  in  the  Annual  Status  of  Education Report (ASER). It is a household survey limited to rural areas of the country. As per their report of 2016, 47.8% of children in grade V can read a grade II text. Further, the proportion of children in Std. V who could read Std. II level text  improved  by  more  than  5  percent  from  2014  to  2016  in  Gujarat, Maharashtra,  Tripura,  Nagaland  and  Rajasthan.  The  Department  of  School Education  &  Literacy,  Ministry  of  Human  Resource  Development  was  not associated with this ASER 2016 survey.

The  Central  Government  through  a  centrally  funded  programme,  Sarva Shiksha  Abhiyan  (SSA),  financially  supports  State  and  UT  Governments  to address  gaps  and  challenges  in  ensuring  quality  education  to  children  in elementary classes through recruitment of additional teachers to improve the Pupil  Teacher  Ratio  (PTR),  regular  annual-in-  service  teacher  training  to  all teachers  to  update  their  skills  and  knowledge,  support  for  Computer  Aided Learning at upper primary level and regular academic support through Block Resource Centres and Cluster Resource Centres. Padhe Bharat Badhe Bharat, a  sub-programme  under  SSA  has  been  launched  to  enhance  the  quality  of foundational learning in languages and early mathematics in classes I and II and a focused programme for Science and Maths at upper primary level under SSA is also being supported. In order to strengthen the quality of education, the learning outcomes for students at elementary level have been finalized and they will be included in the Central Rules of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009.

For secondary education, the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shikhsa Abhiyan programme  similarly provides for in-service teacher training, academic support to schools for improving performance including training for Principals.

(b):  The  Central  Government  has  developed  its  own  student  assessment system called the National Achievement Survey (NAS), which are independently  conducted  by  the  National  Council  of  Educational  Research and  Training  (NCERT)  across  the  country.  Under  NAS,  periodic  national surveys  of  learning  achievement  of  children  in  grade  III,  V,  VIII  and  X  are conducted. Four rounds of NAS have been conducted so far for grade V and three  rounds  for  grade  III  &  VIII.  These  reveal  improvement  in  learning achievement levels of pupils, in identified subjects from first round to fourth round. Since only first round of NAS has been conducted at grade X level, it is not possible to comment on the comparative learning achievement or decline of students of grade X. From current year onwards, Government has decided to  conduct  annual  census  based  National  Achievement  Surveys  covering  all students from grade I-VIII in all government and government aided schools. The students learning assessment will be according to the Learning Outcomes developed  by  NCERT  for  all  subjects  covering  all  classes  in  the  elementary cycle.

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