ASER 2021: Sharp Spike In Smartphone Availability, Over 26% Students Don’t Have Access To Device

ASER Report 2021: More than 67 per cent children enrolled in schools across the country have at least one smartphone at home but over 26 per cent of them still do not have access to the device.

More than 67 per cent children enrolled in schools across the country have at least one smartphone at home but over 26 per cent of them still do not have access to the device, according to the latest Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) survey. The 16th ASER report released on Wednesday pointed out that there is sharp increase in the availability of smartphones from 36.5 per cent in 2018 to 67.6 per cent in 2021.

However, more children in private schools have a smartphone at home (79 per cent) as opposed to government school going children (63.7 per cent). The report states that younger children are more deprived when it comes to access to smartphones, with as many as 40 per cent having no access despite having devices at home.

The survey aims to capture the transition in the education system in the country as the Covidpandemic shows signs of receding. "At least 67.6 per cent children have a smartphone at home. But even in such households, 26.1 per cent children still have no access to smartphones. There is also a clear pattern by grade, with more children in higher classes having access to a smartphone as compared to children in lower grades," the report said.

"The data shows that the higher the percentage of families who have at least one smartphone in the home, the lower the likelihood that children will have no access,” it said. Bihar (53.8 per cent) has the highest percentage of students who do not have access to smartphone despite a device being available at home followed by West Bengal (46.5 per cent), Uttar Pradesh (34.3 per cent) and Rajasthan (33.4 per cent). The survey revealed that there is substantial variation in access to smartphone by grade of children.