New Delhi: The release of the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) by the NGO Pratham provides a mixed but largely encouraging picture of rural India's education landscape, indicating a significant learning recovery post-pandemic, especially in government schools. However, the data—particularly on foundational skills—underlines an urgent need to pivot towards a robust coaching culture for both students and educators.

📈 Key Findings: The Bounce Back and Persistent Gaps

The ASER 2024 survey highlights positive trends, yet points to the persistent foundational skill gaps that require targeted, sustained intervention.

• Learning Recovery: There has been a sharp increase in basic reading and arithmetic levels between 2022 and 2024, recovering from the dip seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• The proportion of Class 5 students in government schools who can read a Class 2 level text rose significantly from 38.5% in 2022 to 44.8% in 2024, nearing pre-pandemic levels.

• Basic arithmetic skills have also improved, with the percentage of Class 3 children able to perform subtraction rising to 33.7% in 2024, surpassing the 2018 figure.

• High Enrollment and Attendance: Overall school enrollment for the 6-14 age group remains high at over 98%. Both student and teacher attendance in government elementary schools have also shown an increase.

• Digital Access: Access to smartphones among the 14-16 age group is near universal, but the report points to a gender gap in digital literacy and safety skills.

• The Persistent Challenge: Despite the recovery, significant learning gaps remain. A staggering 76.6% of Class 3 students still cannot read a Class 2 text, signaling that the goal of universal foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) is far from achieved.

🎯 The Way Forward: Cultivating a Coaching Culture

The ASER findings underscore that while policy initiatives like NEP 2020 and NIPUN Bharat are driving recovery, a deeper, systemic change is required. Education experts suggest that the next major focus must be on embedding a comprehensive, supportive coaching culture at all levels.

1. Teacher Coaching for Professional Growth

The success of learning interventions heavily relies on the classroom teacher. The way forward mandates a shift from traditional, top-down inspections to a non-evaluative, trust-based coaching model for educators.

Focus on Strengths (GROW Model): Coaching for teachers should move beyond deficit-based training to focus on individual strengths, goal-setting, and practical classroom application. Models like GROW (Goal, Reality, Options, Way Forward) can be adapted to foster self-direction and experimentation with new teaching methodologies.

Contextualized Support: The coaching must be personalized to help teachers implement FLN strategies in environments with challenges like multi-grade classrooms and small schools, a reality highlighted by the ASER report.

2. Student Coaching for Remediation and Life Skills

The learning gaps revealed by ASER require that schools adopt a remedial approach rooted in coaching principles—empowering students to take ownership of their learning.

• Targeted Remedial Coaching: Intervention programs should be designed to meet children at their actual learning level, not their enrolled grade. This requires diagnostic assessment followed by individualized or small-group coaching until foundational competencies are achieved.

• Digital Literacy Coaching: With near-universal access to smartphones, structured coaching is needed to convert access into effective educational use. This includes training in digital safety, filtering educational content, and using technology for self-directed learning, which is critical for bridging the gender gap in digital skills.

• Aspiration and Vocational Guidance: For the older age group (14-18), the ASER data points to a need for coaching that links foundational skills to real-world applications and career aspirations, potentially integrating vocational and life skills coaching as mandated by NEP 2020.

By strengthening the link between evidence (from ASER) and action (through a dedicated coaching culture), India's education system can better consolidate the recent recovery and ensure that every child—and every teacher—is equipped to thrive.