Bhubaneswar, Feb 14: The Odisha Assembly was on Friday informed that nearly half of the Class 8 students in the state are unable to perform basic arithmetic division, and around 30% struggle with subtraction.
In response to a query, State School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond shared details from the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2024.
According to the report, 69.5% of Class 8 students in Odisha can perform subtraction, while 48.5% are capable of doing division. These figures compare to national averages of 68.5% for subtraction and 45.8% for division.
Gond noted that the percentage of students who can perform subtraction has increased by 6% over the past decade (2014-2024), and the percentage capable of doing division has risen by 11% in the same period. He added that Odisha's performance in 2024 exceeded the national average.
The minister also mentioned that the state government is distributing Odia, English, and Mathematics workbooks to Class 8 students to aid their practice. Furthermore, the government has plans to provide additional study materials to enhance students' education. Proposals have been made to incorporate these provisions under the Annual Action Plan for Samagra Shiksha Yojana and in the 2025-26 budget.
