Learning outcomes in elementary education in rural India: An inter-state comparison

Abstract

An investigation is done on learning outcomes among children in different States of India at elementary level. Here, 24 major States of India are considered. The exercise is done on the basis of different Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) from 2010, whose information is rural-specific. Learning outcome index of the students of each State are calculated both at standard III and standard V level. It is observed that in most of the States, the learning achievement of the children at elementary level is deteriorating, but not rapidly. It has also come out that higher literacy among parents, availability of some school related factors like Mid-day Meal, proper drinking water,sanitation and playground facility can play a positive role to improve the learning achievement of the rural Indian children at elementary level.