The recently released Annual Status of Education Report 2022, which surveys learning outcomes of school children, revealed continued dips. In southern, central and western states, in particular, learning levels in mathematics dropped further away from what is expected at a certain grade level. As students continue to move to higher grades, with this weak foundation, what impact will this have on them when they go to university, and eventually enter the workforce? The Hindu speaks with experts to understand the long-term impact of this educational crisis.