NEW DELHI, Jan. 17 -- At least 25% of school children in the four-eight age group do not have age-appropriate cognitive and numeracy skills, making for a massive learning deficit at a very early stage, according to the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) released on Tuesday.
The government-run preschool system is losing out to private schools in terms of enrolment, said ASER 2019, which this year focuses on early education. The report, based on a survey conducted in 26 districts across 24 states by education non-profit Pratham, also highlights a gender gap in schooling.
The lack of age-appropriate skills is alarming as this gap at an early age can impact the entire education supply chain in India.
Just 37.4% of children below six ar...