Covid affected grade one kids neither literate nor numerate

Shocking discovery in small sample survey

Over 90 percent of students who were in grade one when COVID-19 broke out have been able to achieve a satisfactory level of literacy or a knowledge of numbers, a survey with a small sample of 10,600 such children has found.The report ‘Assessment on achievement levels of foundational skills in literacy and numeracy of grade three students in Sri Lanka,’ by the Ministry of Education has made this startling discovery.

The survey also found that 73 percent of the students do not have a satisfactory level of listening comprehension. Only 27 percent of students had satisfactory achievement in this area.The study has also found that 80 percent of these students do not have oral skills that are expected from students of their age. Sixty three percent of them do not have a satisfactory level of reading comprehension while 66 percent do not have writing skills expected at their age and education level.

Nineteen percent of the students have not read a single book during the time they were studying at home during lockdowns.The survey also found that 25 percent of the students had studied under teachers who had no training in teaching primary school students.

Out of the sample, 13 percent do not eat one meal while one percent consumed neither breakfast nor lunch.Thirty three percent are now heavily involved in online games due to the access to mobile games, the survey found. The Assessment was conducted in the years 2021 to 2022 to obtain an understanding of the status of students in terms of literacy and numeracy at a crucial stage of their primary education.

This was also done to establish a date for a vital indicator of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Te data includes the proportion of children in grade two or three at the end of primary education and at the end of lower secondary education achieving at least a minimum proficiency level in reading and mathematics. The study was categorized by sex.

The ministry said that the students had lost most of their crucial first year of schooling due to school closures and that this was the first step in establishing a continuous national mechanism to collect data on students‘ performance in literacy and numeracy and establish an annual national level monitoring and intervention mechanism. This survey is expected to be followed by national assessments for grades six and eight classes.