The Learning Crisis: Children are Lacking Skills for Basic Literacy and Numeracy after Completing Primary Education

22-02-2024

Pauliina Majasaari

Human Rights Researcher

Global Human Rights Defence

Even though the number of children participating in education has increased within the past years, still hundreds of millions of children are lacking proper education in the region of Asia.^[i] Alarmingly, the children are not gaining basic learning outcomes, such as basic literacy and numeracy skills, after completing primary education.^[ii] Aims for reform of the educational system are present in some countries, however they are not being realised.^[iii]

The learning crisis is rooted in several core issues, of which the greatest is a poor level of teaching quality. The teaching is mainly based on didactic learning as well as class repetition, with very little to no engagement between the teacher and the students.^[iv] Additional factors of the  educational crisis include, poverty, socio economic background, gender biases, and geographical location, which all contribute to children facing problems with having access to education.^[v] As an example, India is facing one of the worst learning crises in the world at the moment, in which over 17,7 million children are not attending school, the classrooms are understaffed and 40 percent of children cannot read.^[vi] Furthermore, the outbreak of Covid-19 worsened the crisis, with schools closing for prolonged duration with no access to distance learning.^[vii] While the crisis is affecting the development of children’s essential skills for life, the economic and social growth of India and its peoples are simultaneously suffering as individuals are not equipped with skills to pursue higher academic positions nor jobs requiring literacy or numeracy skills.^[viii]

The Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4) – on education, of 2030, includes as one of its targets: ‘ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes’.^[ix] Additionally, the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) ensures the access to free compulsory primary education for all children in line with equal opportunity under article 28 (1) (a).^[x] As part of the right to access to education, the states should also establish educational systems and infrastructure, in order for the right to be realised in practice .^[xi] In addition, Article 29 (1) of the CRC, ensures the right to a quality education, including the right to receive essential skills for life such as numeracy, literacy, the ability to make balanced life decisions and to create a healthy lifestyle.^[xii] The educational crisis taking place in India, reflects the inadequate realisation of the children’s rights as set under the CRC as well as its diminished ability to work towards the SDG4. Firstly, even though the SDGs are not per say legally binding, the governments are expected to take action to work towards the goals.^[xiii] The educational system present in India at the moment is not in line with achieving the SDG4 nor with article 28 (1) (a) CRC as the gender, geographic location, and the socioeconomic status of a child affects the possibility of having access to education.^[xiv] Especially girls who come from low-income families in rural areas frequently do not have access to education.^[xv] Furthermore, to facilitate the growing population in India, over 13,000 schools should be built to have space for every child in India, and as a result, private schools have increased in numbers, which are not accessible to the lower middle-class due to high costs.^[xvi] Secondly, as mentioned, 40 percent of children in India cannot read, which is inconsistent with SDG4’s aims as well as article 29 (1) (a) of the CRC as learning to read is one of the major learning outcomes in school and in the present such is lacking within the education system in India. Moreover, the quality of the education cannot be said to be good as there is a major shortage of qualified teachers, which results in poor teaching, falling to the detriment of the children’s education and development.

To conclude, as mentioned in a report published by the World Economic Forum, there is an urgent need for India to improve and amend its teaching content, increase engagement between the students and teachers, as well as aim for increase in the literacy levels of parents, to be able to aid their children in learning.^[xvii] Additionally, due to the vast amount of children having no access to education, and in accordance with the concerns raised on the international level by multiple actors such as UNICEF and various human rights NGOs, India is suggested to reform its educational system and raise the funding for education, within the limits of being a developing country.^[xviii] Therefore, India is suggested to progressively stop the violations under the CRC by amending the current educational system and ensuring that all children have equal access to quality education, regardless of their socioeconomic status nor other factors, which can limit access to education.

Sources and further readings:

Committee on the Rights of the Child ‘General Comment no 1 on The Aims of Education (April 1^st 2001) Un Doc CRC/C/GC/1.

Convention on the Rights of the Child (adopted 20 November 1989, entered into force 2 September 1990) 1577 UNTS 3 (CRC).

Elisabetta Gentile and Kristy Newman, ‘Why Aren’t Students in Asia Getting the Education They Need’ Asian Development Blog (January 29^th 2021) <https://blogs.adb.org/blog/why-aren-t-students-asia-getting-education-they-need> accessed February 22^nd 2024.

‘Goals: 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning and opportunities for all’ UN: Department of Economic and Social Affairs <https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal4#targets_and_indicators> accessed February 22^nd 2024.

Lateisha Ugwuegbula, ‘The Asia-Pacific’s Education Crisis: Educational gaps and shortcomings in the Asia-Pacific could make or break the 2030 DGS challenge’ The Diplomat (November 21^st 2019) <https://thediplomat.com/2019/11/the-asia-pacifics-education-crisis/> accessed February 22^nd 2024.

Nishant Saxena, ‘From Struggle to Success: ALfA Programme Breaks Barriers in India’s foundational Literacy Crisis’ The Times of India (June 17^th 2023) <https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/the-write-wing/from-struggle-to-success-alfa-program-breaks-barriers-in-indias-foundational-literacy-crisis/> accessed February 22^nd 2024.

‘Sustainable Development Goals: The Sustainable Development Agenda’ United Nations <https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/development-agenda-retired/> accessed February 22^nd 2024.

Thomas Thekkethala, ‘Is there a current global crisis in education?’ Medium (January 16^th 2019) <https://medium.com/@thomasthekkethala/is-there-a-current-global-crisis-in-education-e77d196a3fca> accessed February 22^nd 2024.