Reading may be the number one casualty of our education system …
India seems to have bounced back from the Covid pandemic, and the havoc it wrought on the economy in particular and life in general.
The investment made in creating digital availability over the last 15 years has given rise to a digital dividend which could critically complement the demographic dividend that India enjoys today. However, the quality of human capital will play a crucial role in achieving India’s dream of becoming the third largest economy on the planet in the foreseeable future.
In this context, the 2023 Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), released recently, assumes great significance. The report has analysed data for both students and working minors (14 – 18 years of age) with a view to ascertaining:
- If they were pursuing any certificate or degree programmes
- If they could apply basic literacy and numeracy skills to everyday situations
- If they were digitally literate
Consequently, It has emerged that nearly 86% of Indian youth are enrolled in an academic institution (laying to rest the apprehension that the pandemic would compel many youth to drop out of academic programmes altogether).
What is worrisome, however, was the finding that literacy and numeracy skills were abysmal. Nearly three-quarters of 14-18 year olds were almost unable to read a text meant for students in Grade II (implying that over 25% of high school students failed this most basic test) and only 43% were capable of solving a division problem meant for students in Grades III and IV.
Earlier, the New Education Policy (2020) had recognised that students in high school who were yet to acquire higher order skills in these two fields were extremely unlikely to acquire them later in life. Accordingly, it mandated that “The highest priority of the education system will be to achieve universal foundational literacy and numeracy in primary school by 2025”.
Despite this being a stated aim, it is clear that a sizeable proportion of youth continue to lack basic reading skills. The education system clearly needs to pivot its focus so that teaching is oriented away from learning by rote and pattern, and geared more towards skilling youth to apply knowledge and academic concepts to promote critical thinking and problem solving skills in everyday scenarios.
Reading is a critically important life skill, affecting learning, knowledge development and reskilling outcomes. It is too important to leave to chance or postpone to some future time. It takes a dedication and time. But it’s an investment that is guaranteed to succeed.
And with ALSOWISE® you can hone your reading skills while:
- Setting your own pace
- Choosing topics that interest you
- Using your own device
How does the ALSOWISE® Programme enable you to acquire this skill?
The ALSOWISE® Programme is designed to enhance proficiency in the English language, with a critical emphasis on honing reading and analytical skills.
The programme leverages technology to encourage reading, in which users are made to listen, read, and test their unaided recall – through our carefully developed ReadAlongs – on a mobile. This goes a long way in developing reading both as a skill and a strength.
It is never too late to acquire this valuable skill. So, if you’re looking to improve your English reading and communication skills with a view to standing out in a crowded field, and getting ahead in your career:
- Download the ALSOWISE® app today.
- Register immediately – the process is quick, simple and FREE.
- Sample the FREE Demo and discover for yourself that ALSOWISE® is the English language enhancement app that you were looking for.