Learning levels in Bengaluru drop below state average: CRI report flags deep concerns

Child Rights Index shows alarming gaps in reading and arithmetic skills among Class 3–5 students in Bengaluru Urban and Rural, with post-pandemic learning recovery still far behind expectations.

Bengaluru has recorded some of the lowest learning outcomes in Karnataka, according to the Child Rights Index report released by the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights. The findings highlight that children in both Bengaluru Urban and Rural are performing below the state average in basic reading and arithmetic skills.

The report shows that only 17.6% of children in Classes 3 to 5 in Bengaluru Urban can read a Class 2-level Kannada textbook. In Bengaluru Rural, the number stands at 17.3%. These figures fall far behind the state rural averages recorded in the Annual Status of Education Report 2024, where 32.4% of boys and 35.6% of girls in Class 3 can read Class 2 text.

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Arithmetic skills also remain a major concern. Only 44.7% of children in Bengaluru Rural and 49.7% in Bengaluru Urban are able to solve simple subtraction problems, despite the state average being 34%. The report adds that these gaps have remained consistent across different classes over the years.

Researchers attribute a large part of this decline to the Covid-19 lockdown period, which severely disrupted classroom learning. Even after four years, children have not returned to pre-pandemic proficiency levels. The study, conducted by experts from the Institute for Social and Economic Change, points to poor foundational learning, inadequate teaching methods, and gaps in school infrastructure as contributing factors.

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The report recommends strengthening classroom quality, improving school facilities, and adopting effective learning methods to help districts with poor performance recover. It stresses the urgent need for systematic intervention to close the widening learning gap in Bengaluru.