Survey: 37% poor rural students not studying at all

Closure of schools due to Covid-19 pandemic has had disastrous consequences on children’s education in underprivileged households, according to a new survey. The ‘School Children’s Online and Offline Learning (SCHOOL) Survey’ took place in 15 states and UTs covering 1362 households, 1362 children enrolled in classes 1-8. “The picture that emerges from this survey is absolutely dismal. In rural areas, only 28% of children were studying regularly at the time of the survey, and 37% were not studying at all. The results of a simple reading test are particularly alarming: nearly half of all children in the sample were unable to read more than a few words,” it said.