34% JK teens can’t locate their state on India’s map

Srinagar, Jan 26: Nearly 34.4 per cent of the youth in the age group of 14-18 years in the state can’t locate Jammu and Kashmir on India’s map, Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2017 titled ‘Beyond Basics’ reveals.
The survey, which was conducted all over the India, pointed out some serious shortcomings in the state’s education sector that the government has failed to overcome.
In the national survey, each state was represented by a district and the ASER team for Jammu and Kashmir choose to survey rural Budgam in J&K.
According to the survey, 1154 youth in 936 households of 60 villages in Budgam district were consulted, out of which majority of the students struggled about use of maps.
It said that nearly 12 per cent of the students who were surveyed couldn’t name their state while 43.2 per cent failed to locate India’s capital New Delhi.
The survey said that 18 per cent couldn’t recognize the India’s map.
In the survey, the ASER also pointed out the weakness of the students in performing basic tasks in various subjects.
The survey suggested that nearly 16 per cent students at school level in the surveyed villages couldn’t count, while 10 and 32 per cent couldn’t understand time and weights, respectively.
It said that 37 couldn’t measure the length, while 32 per cent couldn’t take a purchase decision.
In arithmetic, the survey mentioned, 56 per cent of students were not able to divide a three-digit by one-digit figure, whereas 21 per cent of those surveyed were not up to the mark in basic subtraction.
In technical education, ASER reveals that 64.7 per cent students of 14-18 years age have never used computer, while 68.8 per cent never had access to the internet.
In the financial participation, only 5.9 per cent have used internet banking, while 22.1 per cent have used ATM services.
Though 87.8 per cent have their own bank accounts, but out of them 60.1 per cent of have deposited or withdrawn money.
Regarding the out-of-school children, the largest household-based survey revealed that the drop-out rate increases with age. Between age 14-18, only 10.4 per cent adolescents were not enrolled in education institutions but at age 16-18, the percentage of such youth rises to 16.1 per cent.