ASER report: 68.8% of Class 3 to 5 children in rural Udham Singh Nagar could not read a simple Class 2-level Hindi text

According to ASER (Annual Status of Education Report), 68.8 per cent of children in Classes 3 to 5 in rural areas of Udham Singh Nagar district could not read even a simple Hindi text of Class 2 level; only 31.2 per cent could read it. In Classes 6 to 8, 63.2 per cent of children could read the text, while 36.8 per cent did not reach that level (Amar Ujala). According to the paper, children weak in Hindi can fall behind in other subjects too, as they cannot read and understand questions properly. There has been action in the district over this before: on August 22, Class 4 and 5 children at government primary schools in Rudrapur, Khatima and Sitarganj could not read Hindi, after which the Chief Education Officer (CEO) stopped the teachers' salaries; on August 1, when the same was found at the primary school in Paiga, the salaries of 10 teachers were stopped and the headmaster was suspended. CEO Harendra Kumar Mishra said teachers have been given strict instructions to improve children's learning and skills, and action is being taken continuously against negligence. (Source: Amar Ujala)