Nagaland: 'Only half of Class VIII students can do division'

Morung Express News
Dimapur | January
15

Only 51.5 percent of class VIII students in Nagaland State can perform division of numbers, according to the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2017-18 which was released today.

The report, based on an annual survey that aims to provide reliable annual estimates of children’s schooling status and basic learning levels for each state and rural district in India, also indicated a declining trend in basic arithmetic proficiency among school children (Class III to VIII) in the state.

The report found that with regard to Class III students, only 37% of students in both government and private schools could perform at least subtraction. The corresponding figures for the previous years were:  2016 – 42.8%, 2014 – 40.2%, and 2012 – 53.6%. 

It may be noted that in most states, children are expected to do 2-digit subtraction with borrowing by class III. The aforesaid figures, the report said, is a proxy for grade level arithmetic for class III. 

Another finding reflected that from the 46% of class V students who could perform division in both government and private schools, the percentage fell to 25.8% in 2018. Meanwhile, the percentage of class VIII students who could do division fell from 81.6% in 2012 to 51.5% in 2018.  

One positive trend reported by the survey showed that cohorts of students in course of their progression through classes showed an average increase in proficiency towards performing division of numbers. 

However, despite the increasing proficiency trend, the end percentage of proficiency saw a declining trend. 

For instance, one sample survey showed that a batch of students who were in class IV in 2008 included only  31.9% who could do division. This gradually increased to 46.1% when they reached class VI in 2010 and 81.6% when they reached class VIII in 2012. 

Compare this to a similar but more recent batch, a cohort that was in class IV in 2014 recorded slightly above 10% who could perform the same division exercise. This was followed by about 38% when they reached class VI in 2016 and 51% when they reached class VIII in 2018.   

Notwithstanding the proficiency trend, the report also recorded gender and age wise percentage of students who could do basic arithmetic in 2018. 

In the 8-10 age group, 40.7% of boys and 41.1% of girls could do at least subtraction. The corresponding figures for the 11-13 age group was 65.8% (boys) and 64.5% (girls); while for the 14-16 age group: 78% (boys) and 79.6% (girls).

  
Of the children who could subtract but not divide in the 14-16 age group, 31.6% of all students could calculate time, 24.6% could apply unitary method, and 14.9% could calculate discount. 

Meanwhile, of students who could do division, 43.7% could calculate the time, 38.4% could apply unitary method, and 27% could calculate discount.