This is despite private tuitions being banned in Bengal. The trend is particularly rampant in rural areas, according to the report.

In 2003, then state school education minister Kanti Biswas had banned school teachers from taking private tuitions. They had been put under watch to penalize those who flouted the rule.

The idea was to ensure quality teaching in schools so that students did not have to take tuitions. Teachers' organizations, backed by Opposition parties and the ruling CPM and its Left Front allies, however, protested. Gradually, the anti-tuition movement died down.

"As far as policy goes, no schoolteacher in any state-run or government-aided school is allowed to take private tuitions. We had launched a drive against it and I'm sure the incidence has decreased. However, I will have to take a look at the ASER report for further comments," said Partho De, now Bengal school education minister.

According to education activist Sunando Sanyal, "the quality of teaching in Bengalrun schools is so poor that students are forced to take private tuitions. Also, the syllabi is not completed in most schools".

Further, the survey pointed out that rural Bengal students' ability to learn maths was not improving. About 58% children do not have basic proficiency in maths, it said. "It is still a matter of concern that over 40% of children in Class II cannot recognize numbers beyond 10," the report added.

In Bihar, however, the percentage of students taking private tuitions is significantly lower. But 54.9% children going to government schools there still take tuitions. This percentage goes up to 65.6% in the case of Class VIII students from private schools. In Class I, 24% children in government schools need tuitions while the figure rises to 53.3% for private-school students.

Kerala, however, bucks the trend. In Class VIII, more government school students (42.4%) take tuitions than those in private schools (41.9%). A similar pattern is noticed in other classes too.