Every year from 2005 to 2014, and then every alternate year till 2018, ASER reported on children's schooling and learning status across rural India. In 2020, COVID-19 interrupted this trajectory. The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in school closures across the world, causing massive disruption to children's learning. Almost two academic years have passed without any face-to-face learning in schools in West Bengal, leading to a growing concept over 'learning loss' in children. Global estimates suggest that children's foundational skills suffer due to prolonged school closures and inequitable access to different forms of technology-based educational inputs.
This ASER survey was conducted in all districts of West Bengal (except Darjeeling) in December 2021.