Learning ability in B’luru below state average, only 18% of Class 3–5 children can read Class 2 text
Bengaluru: Learning ability among children in Bengaluru Urban and Rural areas remains alarmingly low, falling below the state average, according to a recent report by the Child Rights Index (CRI) released by the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights.
The study, cited by The New Indian Express, shows that only 17.6% of children in Classes 3 to 5 in Bengaluru Urban and 17.3% in Bengaluru Rural can read Class 2 textbooks. Similarly, merely 44.7% of children in Bengaluru Rural and 49.7% in Bengaluru Urban can solve simple subtraction problems, below the state average of 34%.
The report attributes these deficiencies to a combination of factors, including poor infrastructure, inadequate teaching methods, and the lingering impact of COVID-19 lockdowns. Four years later, children have not come up to the pre-pandemic level in their learning, said the report.
Compiled by S. Madheswaran and B.P. Vani of the Institute for Social and Economic Change, the study also draws on the findings of the Annual Status of Education Report 2024. In rural Karnataka, only 32.4% of boys and 35.6% of girls in Class 3 can read Class 2-level text. Arithmetic skills are very low, with just 35.3% of boys and 39.9% of girls in Class 5 able to solve simple division problems.
Lokesh Talikote, a teacher and president of the Recognised and Unaided Private Schools Association, highlighted that poor learning outcomes are not limited to government schools. Many private school teachers lack adequate teaching skills, and state board textbooks, largely unchanged for 20 years, fail to provide relevant lessons.
“The last panel formed to revise textbooks was Baraguru Ramachandrappa Committee. Most of the students have moved to pursuing CBSE and ICSE to access quality education and learn lessons relevant to the world of AI instead of reading the same syllabus in the state board textbooks,” TNIE quoted him as saying.
Madan Padaki, co-founder of the Head Held High Foundation, emphasised the importance of incentivising teachers for adopting new teaching methods and involving parents in monitoring their children’s learning outcomes.
“Parents must pay attention to the learning outcomes of the child as they spend more hours within the family. They are to be seen as an equal actor in the ecosystem of education. You cannot place the responsibility on teachers and schools,” TNIE quoted Padaki as saying,
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Former India hockey coach Michael Nobbs dies
Melbourne (PTI): Former Australian hockey player Michael Nobbs, who coached the Indian men's team at the 2012 London Olympics, has died after a prolonged illness.
He was 72 years old and is survived by his wife Lee Capes, a former Australian women's international and daughter Kaitlin, who is a current Hockeyroos star.
"Hockey Australia extends its deepest condolences to Michael’s family, friends, former teammates, players and all those whose lives and careers were shaped by his contribution to hockey. He will be remembered as a proud Kookaburra, a respected professional, and a servant of the sport," Hockey Australia said in a statement.
Nobbs represented Australia as a defender, playing across the half-back line and at fullback, and was renowned for his reliability, fitness and professionalism. He earned 76 international caps for Australia between 1979 and 1985, scoring one goal, and was a member of one of the strongest eras in Australian men’s hockey, said Hockey Australia on its website in its tribute.
Nobbs was an integral part of the Australian teams that competed at the 1981 Hockey World Cup in Bombay and the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
While part of a generation widely regarded as one of Australia’s finest, he consistently held his place through hard work, discipline and trust earned from teammates and coaches, Hockey Australia wrote.
Nobbs took over the coaching of the Indian men's team in 2011 after it had failed to qualify for the Beijing Games in 2008. While India were brilliant in the qualifiers, the team finished last at the London extravaganza which also expedited the Australian coach's sacking.
Apart from India, Nobbs also coached Japan.
