Patna: The annual status of education report (ASER) 2017 being conducted by non-government organisation Pratham will be released at India International Centre in New Delhi on January 16.

This year the education survey conducted by Pratham is different compared to previous years as ASER this time has focused on older age group - youths who are 14 to 16 years old and are just beyond the elementary school age. Since 2006, ASER has focused on the age group of 5 to 16 with children's schooling status and their ability to do basic reading and arithmetic tasks.

Sujeet Kumar, ASER regional team member (Bihar), said: "This year the ASER survey was different as we focused on older age group. The four parameters on which students studying at government schools were assessed, included student activity in school and outside, ability to read and write, awareness and their aspiration."

He said India's Right to Education Act (RTE 2009) guarantees free and compulsory schooling for children up to the age of 14. And at the age of 18, the ASER expects youths to be prepared for adulthood eligible to join the formal workforce and vote. Our primary focus of the survey was what students in this age group are thinking.

Through the four parameters the survey wants to know what the young are currently doing. Whether they have enrolled in secondary school, technical or vocational courses. The ASER 2017 also tested students' ability of basic reading and arithmetic.

The survey also dealt with students' awareness and exposure, which includes how familiar youths are with financial and digital instruments and current affairs. The last parameter on which students were assessed was aspiration - what do these young people want to become.

The ASER 2017 survey unlike previous ones, which only focused on reading and arithmetic abilities of students, gave them a few questions to answer. The questions were based on an individual's day-to-day life.

For instance, name of banks having different interest rates and the candidates were asked which bank they would prefer to take a loan for maximum profitability. Candidates were asked the price of a certain T-shirt after a discount of 10 per cent.