Naina Mishra
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, January 17
A Class V student of Mohali and Panchkula cannot answer this: What is 13 subtracted from 41? More than half of children of both regions failed to do two-digit subtractions, three-digit divisions and read basic grade II level text.
Basic learning levels for elementary schoolchildren have remained low, according to the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER)-2018.
Panchkula failed to improve the basic learning of students after the ASER-2016 report brought forth poor basics of students in the elementary classes. In 2016, 77.7 per cent children studying in Classes III-V in Panchkula could read text of Class I level. Now, only 59.5 per cent such children can read Class II level text.
Panchkula witnessed a decline of 2 per cent as 83 per cent of children studying in Classes VI-VIII can read Class II level text in contrast with 85 per cent previously.
Similarly, only 58.5 per cent children in Classes III to V in Mohali can read a simple text of Class II level.
However, Mohali students have better basic arithmetic knowledge as compared to Panchkula. In Mohali, 67.4% students in Classes III-V can do at least subtraction, whereas only 56.6% can perform the same function in Panchkula. Mohali showed an improvement in this area by an increase of 20.3 per cent as only 47.1 per cent of students could subtract in 2016. However, Panchkula fared poorly with a dip of 2.4 per cent. Also, 54.6% students in Classes VI-VIII can do simple division in Mohali, whereas only 53.7% can do it in Panchkula.
ASER-2018 findings
Mohali
58.5% children in Classes III-V can read Class II level text
67.4% children in Classes III-V can do at least subtraction
85.2% children in Classes VI-VIII can read Class II level text
54.6% children can do division
Panchkula
59.2% children in Classes III-V can read Class II level text
56.6% children in Classes III-V can do at least subtraction
83.0% children in Classes VI-VIII can read Class II level text
53.7% children can do division
Poor performance
Panchkula failed to improve the basic learning of students after the ASER-2016 report brought forth poor basics of students in the elementary classes. In 2016, 77.7% children studying in Classes III-V in Panchkula could read text of Class I level. Now, only 59.5% such children can read Class II level text.