Project report

Raising Learning Outcomes in Diverse Indian Contexts

Anuradha De · 1 Dec 2019

Abstract

Raising Learning Outcomes in Diverse Indian ContextsOver the past two decades, India has witnessed a rapid increase in primary school enrolment.Today, more students than ever before attend school, even those from very disadvantaged backgrounds.By 2014, only 3 per cent of children aged 6-14 were out of school (Social and Rural Research Institute 2014).However, not all complete primary school, and for those who do, many are not learning the basics in literacy and numeracy (ASER Centre 2019).Since 2014, researchers supported by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the UK's Department for International Development (DFID) under the Raising Learning Outcomes in Education Systems Research programme (RLO) have examined issues of access and learning for those at risk of being left behind.Research on schools in varied contexts across India -from small schools in remote rural areas to crowded ones in urban slums -found wide variation in students' backgrounds, needs and abilities.Pupils attending the same school often come from different caste, class or religious backgrounds.Their ability to participate and learn in classrooms also varied -sometimes due to different forms and degrees of disability.Studies also found that students who faced multiple disadvantages (due to poverty, gender, caste, religion, disability or where they live) were among those least likely to be learning.One study found that more than 10 per cent of students between the ages of eight and 12 could not read or recognise two-digit numbers (Learning outcomes and teacher effectiveness for children facing multiple disadvantages, including those with disabilities, [TEACh]).This paper highlights the key messages and policy implications from seven ESRC-DFID-funded RLO projects (see the map below and Box 1).The studies provide valuable new evidence to inform the Indian government's efforts to ensure that all children benefit from quality education.