Tamil Nadu witnessed a drop in the number of schools, both government and private, having computers, from 28.6% in 2018 to 23.8% in 2022, according to the Annual Status Education Report (ASER). As per the report's last publication from 2018, percentage of students using computers also dipped from 29.3% to 19.4%.
The national report was published last week by Pratham education foundation following a nationwide survey. It covered 31 districts, 920 villages, 18,312 households, and 30,737 children in the age group 3 to 16 years across the state. The data comes in a post-pandemic world, where the state government announced measures to propel online education to equip schools with computers and internet facilities. Even the budget for 2022 included the state announcing plans to set up smart classrooms and train teachers to handle online classes, stated a report by The New Indian Express.
In addition to the absence of proper computer facilities, the report highlights the state's performance in terms of the presence of libraries at schools. Of the surveyed schools, almost 20% don't have a library. In 2018, only 16.2% of schools didn't provide the facility.
Dismissing the figures, General Secretary of Tamil Nadu Graduate Teachers' Federation, P Patrick Raymond, told TNIE, "There is some serious discrepancy in the figures or the survey's sampling method. The majority of the schools in the state have computers as teachers need to upload various information on Educational Management Information System (EMIS)." In terms of serving midday meals, availability of kitchen for cooking mid-day meals and availability of drinking water, however, the state's performance is impressive.
