Pune: Now Children Prefer Policemen and Teachers Over IAS, IPS, and Sports Careers – ASER Survey
Pune, 24th January 2024: In a recent report titled “Beyond Basics” released by the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), findings from a comprehensive survey shed light on the career aspirations of children across the country. Surprisingly, the study indicates a greater inclination towards becoming policemen and teachers rather than opting for prestigious roles such as IAS, IPS, or pursuing a career in sports.*
According to the survey, 13% of children expressed interest in becoming police officers, with 13.6% being boys and 12.5% girls. Meanwhile, 11.4% of children aspire to become teachers, with 16% of them being girls and 6% boys. The medical field also garnered interest, with 14.8% of girls aspiring to become doctors and 8.4% aiming to become nurses.
The armed forces attracted the attention of 7.7% of children, with 13.3% being boys and 2.4% girls. Engineering emerged as a career choice for 6.3% of children, with 9.6% of boys and 3.4% of girls expressing interest. Additionally, 4.6% of children expressed a desire to secure any government job, with 5.4% being boys and 3.9% girls.
Surprisingly, the report highlighted a lack of interest in administrative services, as only 2% of children expressed a desire to become ASER officers, and 1.4% showed interest in becoming IPS officers. Self-employment or family businesses attracted 1.9% of children, while 1.4% showed interest in agricultural activities. Private jobs and athletics received lower preference, with 1.6% and 1.2% of children expressing interest, respectively.
The survey also revealed that 21% of children either do not know what career path to choose or have not thought about it. Of this group, 19.9% are boys and 22% are girls. However, a small percentage (2.1%) of children expressed a lack of interest in working altogether.
