Dimapur, September 21 (MExN): The state level workshop of the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) Survey, 2018 was held in Circuit House Dimapur from September 16 to 20. This marks the start of ASER 2018 in Nagaland.
A press note from the Pratham ASER Nagaland stated that through lectures, quizzes and field work, 11 Master Trainers were equipped to conduct the survey in Nagaland alongside other states throughout the country. This year, the survey in Nagaland will be conducted with the help of DIETs, local NGOs and local volunteers.
ASER is the largest annual citizen led survey in India that provides data on children’s learning levels. Every year over 6,00,000 children in the age group of 3-16 are surveyed. Close to 25,000 volunteers from more than 500 partner organizations conduct the survey, reaching over 16,000 villages in every rural district across the country.
In 2017, after focusing on the abilities and skills of 14-18 year old youth, this year ASER is back to assessing 5-16 year old children on their basic reading and math skills while additionally testing children in the age group of 14-16 on the application of their basic arithmetic skills to daily tasks. “ASER hopes to keep the focus on foundational reading and numeracy skills and continue to contribute to the formation of new policies,” Pratham ASER Nagaland stated.
ASER results have been widely discussed in the government and outside and have also been used by many state governments while preparing plans for elementary education. The ASER model in India has inspired many other countries like Pakistan, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania (in East Africa), Mali, Senegal, Nigeria (in West Africa) and Mexico to start their own ASER-like assessments.
