Sun Jan 19 13:47:08 UTC 2025: ## Telangana’s Education Crisis: Alarming ASER Report Reveals Deep Learning Gaps
**Hyderabad, January 19, 2025** – A new Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2023, focusing on ‘Beyond Basics’, has revealed a stark education crisis in Telangana. The survey, extrapolated from data collected in Khammam district, highlights alarmingly low literacy and numeracy rates among 14-18 year olds, significantly exceeding the national average.
A staggering 30.1% of Telangana’s youth in this age group are out of school – more than double the national average of 13.2%. The report further underscores the depth of the problem: 46.25% of Telangana’s 14-18 year olds cannot fluently read a standard second-grade text in their regional language, compared to 25% nationally. Similarly, only 19.75% can solve basic division problems, drastically lower than the national average of 43.3%. English proficiency is also alarmingly low, with just 43.2% able to read simple sentences. Even among those with access to smartphones (74.9%), a mere 38.5% could perform basic digital tasks.
Gender disparities are equally concerning. While 62.3% of female students aged 17-18 could read a standard first-grade text and answer basic questions, only 46.1% of their male counterparts could achieve the same. The report also notes a significant lack of computer/laptop access in households (only 9%), further hindering digital literacy.
The ASER report serves as a wake-up call, exposing deep-seated challenges in Telangana’s education system and highlighting the urgent need for comprehensive reforms to address these critical learning gaps. Experts are calling for immediate action to improve literacy rates, numeracy skills, and digital literacy amongst the state’s youth.
First Piper 