Srinagar, Oct 11: Only 37.8 per cent of Class V students in rural Jammu and Kashmir can read a Class II-level text, while the proportion drops to 21.8 per cent in government schools, according to a report released by the Rajiv Gandhi Institute for Contemporary Studies (RGICS).
The report, released titled “A New Vision for J&K and a New Strategy for Realising that Vision”, copy of which lies with Kashmir News Service (KNS), has flagged poor foundational learning outcomes as one of the major challenges facing the education sector in the Union Territory.
According to the report, which draws on the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2024, nearly 62 per cent of Class V students in rural J&K have not attained the reading proficiency expected of children in Class II.
The government-private school divide is particularly pronounced. ASER data cited in the assessment shows that 21.8 per cent of Class V students in government schools could read Class II-level texts, compared to 60.3 per cent in private schools, a difference of 38.5 percentage points.
The figures also show that reading proficiency among Class V students in government schools improved from 18.1 per cent in 2022 to 21.8 per cent in 2024, an increase of 3.7 percentage points. Private schools recorded an improvement from 54.9 per cent to 60.3 per cent during the corresponding period.
The report’s findings indicate that the improvement in learning outcomes has not substantially narrowed the gap between government and private schools.
The situation is also reflected in other classes. Only 16.7 per cent of Class III students surveyed in rural J&K could read Class II-level texts, while 58.5 per cent of Class VIII students met the benchmark.
This means that more than 40 per cent of students in Class VIII were unable to read a text prescribed for Class II, according to the assessment.
The RGICS report identifies deficiencies in education, healthcare and nutrition as major components of the social challenges confronting Jammu and Kashmir.
It calls for greater emphasis on “lifelong learning and foundational literacy and numeracy” and advocates strengthening educational outcomes as part of a broader development strategy.
The institute has proposed an investment of Rs 29,953 crore over five years for social development, covering education, healthcare and other interventions. The amount forms part of its proposed development framework and does not represent an approved government allocation.
The findings are based on ASER 2024 data collected from rural areas and do not constitute a fresh statewide assessment conducted in 2026. (KNS)
