Andhra Pradeshis one of the few states that have witnessed an increase in the student enrollment in government schools over the years as per the sixteenth ‘Annual Status of Education Report(Rural) 2021′ released on Wednesday. For children in the age group of 6-14, enrollment in the government schools has increased to 71% in 2021 from 62% in 2018 in AP. This shift is seen in all grades and among both boys and girls.
The maximum increase in governmentschoolenrollment is seen in Uttar Pradesh and Kerala. Other than , all southern states have witnessed an 8% increase in student enrollment in government schools between 2018 and 2021. If parental education is taken as a factor, only 56% of the highly educated parents are sending their wards to government schools in Andhra Pradesh. This is almost 91% for the parents in the ‘low’ education category.
As per the ASER, the school education report facilitated by non-profit Pratham, the availability of smartphones in households has almost doubled since 2018. About 72% of the total pupils in Andhra Pradesh currently have smartphones available at homes compared to a mere 42% in 2018. However, 18% of them do not have access to these smartphones for their studies. This means only some 60% ofstudentshave full-time or partial access to smartphones for studies.
The study identified digital divide among the students with children from families having low education and no Resources like smartphones had less access to Learning opportunities. There is evidence of effort even in these households. Parents have been purchasing smartphones specifically for their children’s education.
In 2020, about 4% children had taken private tuition classes in Andhra Pradesh. This proportion jumped to almost 23% in 2021. About 96% of the enrolled children have textbooks of their current grade. ASER 2021 was conducted in 25 states and 3 Union Territories during September and October, 2021.