A learning gap is a difference between what a student is expected to understand and what they actually understand at their grade level. This difference occurs when a child is pushed towards advanced education before they completely understand the basics. When the foundations are not clearly understood, the student will not be able to grasp newer and more advanced concepts.
According to the NSSO Data, around 39% of rural kids have dropped out of school before 12th standard. This is quite prominent at primary and middle levels of education.
The National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), originally known as the National Sample Survey Organisation, was India’s primary organisation responsible for conducting periodic socioeconomic surveys.
The learning gap is one of the biggest reasons why children drop out of school. When a student fails to understand the present curriculum, they are likely to lag in class. This creates a disparity between their expected and actual learning levels thus putting a tremendous strain on the students to catch up with their peers.
The learning gap hinders not just a child’s educational progress but also their overall development. When a student does not grasp something, they are unable to answer any questions about that subject. As a result, they begin to avoid the questions, make excuses, or simply ignore the teacher.
This behaviour directly affects the student’s confidence, and their academic achievements during their formative years and creates an everlasting impact on their future as well.
Fatma (2015) findings show that there is a correlation between academic achievements and the self-confidence of students. Her finding suggests that there is a relationship between students’ self-confidence and learning outcomes because, with an increase in self-confidence, academic achievement also increased.
Foundational skills refer to basic literacy, numeracy, and transferable skill. These skills are the building blocks for a life of learning.
P&G Shiksha and Pratham’s Early Childhood Education Program
P&G Shiksha and Pratham Education Foundation focus on improving children’s motor, cognitive, social-emotional, language, and creative skills, preparing them for rapid growth as they enter school.
‘Ei Mindspark’ assists in bridging the learning gap in children and bringing their learning levels up to grade level. Ei Mindspark is a learning management system that assesses each student’s learning level and creates a personalised learning route for them.
These interactive exercises allow students to experiment with learning in different ways while also increasing their confidence.
Creating study groups is an intriguing technique to encourage collaborative learning. It encourages pupils’ creativity, teamwork, and communication.
Read in detail about how P&G Shiksha and its partners help in bridging the learning gap and holistic development.
Though learning gaps grow wider with each passing year, they can be bridged by taking gradual measures. Let us ensure that the next generation can cope with and overcome this invisible gap.
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