Collaboration empowers India's future through foundational skills in primary students
Collaboration empowers India's future through foundational skills in primary students
Collaboration empowers India's future through foundational skills in primary students
Studies reveal a concerning trend: India's primary education system is in a critical state. Students are lacking foundational skills in literacy and numeracy, and this gap is widening each year. These foundational skills are essential for success in higher education and life in general. Without them, students fall behind and struggle to catch up, sometimes even dropping out of school. This is a significant challenge for India, a country with a large and young population. The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated this issue by disrupting classroom learning and hindering students' academic, physical, and social-emotional development.
A case study of our FLN Reform project in Maharashtra
Collaboration empowers India's future through foundational skills in primary students
About
Key Approach
Strengthening Teacher Education
Scale
State
Key Expertise
Co-Create Content, Co-Evaluate Growth
Future-Ready Skills
Foundational Literacy and Numeracy, Digital Literacy
The Intervention
To address these challenges, the Ministry of Education launched the NIPUN Bharat Mission under the National Education Policy 2020. The goal is to equip all students aged 3 to 9 with strong foundational literacy and numeracy skills by 2026-27. We are proud to be supporting the state of Maharashtra in this mission by collaborating with various education department officials to achieve the FLN (Foundational Literacy and Numeracy) goals.
One of the most important interventions was the Nipun Block Action Plan. This plan involved creating block-specific strategies by block-level officers to implement innovative pedagogy in pre-primary and primary grades. The strategy was operationalized by training cluster-level officers on effective classroom practices. These officers then trained and supported teachers and Anganwadi workers through an existing monthly platform called Shikshan Parishad. This platform provided a way to ensure FLN implementation in classrooms. Nipun Mitra Shikshan Parishads were crucial programs implemented across multiple districts.
Watch us in action
Challenges
Our work is firmly grounded in the belief that quality public education is the key to true educational equity. However, we encountered various challenges in our journey. One of the most significant challenges was ensuring the effective implementation of the Nipun Bharat Mission across diverse districts with varying needs and contexts. Each district presented unique obstacles, from bureaucratic hurdles to technological limitations, and from resource constraints to community engagement issues. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the educational landscape, necessitating innovative approaches to teacher training, student assessment, and parent engagement. We also recognized the critical need for ongoing teacher training and mentoring to ensure the sustainability of our interventions.
Scale
State
Key Expertise
Co-Create Content, Co-Evaluate Growth
Future-Ready Skills
Foundational Literacy and Numeracy, Digital Literacy
A case study of our FLN Reform project in Maharashtra
Collaboration empowers India's future through foundational skills in primary students
Key Approach
Strengthening Teacher Education
Highlights
While the Nipun Block Action Plan was a significant intervention, it was just one piece of the puzzle. Each district required specific interventions at different levels. These interventions ranged from those targeting bureaucracy to those targeting parents, and from those leveraging technology to those focused on data collection and analysis.
In Pune, we collaborated with DIET and Zilla Parishad for the Nipun Bharat Gunwatta Vriddhi Karyakram to build FLN competency over two months. A central monitoring unit was established to ensure effective program implementation. Beyond the city, gram panchayats were mobilized to raise awareness about the Nipun Bharat Mission.
In Nashik, Nipun Bharat assessment guidelines were created to develop effective rubrics and processes to capture student data and validate outliers. A district-level showcase on best practices for competencies was organized.
In Nagpur, we supported DIET officers for the Disha initiative and online portal for teacher training. Parent engagement initiatives were launched in six Zilla Parishad schools.
In Sindhudurg, data collection and school visits were conducted to understand ground realities. Workshops for Kendra Pramukh were organized to transform them into Nipun Mitras.
In Chandrapur, we facilitated a planning and orientation workshop for block-level officers to co-create Nipun action plans.
Impact and the Road Ahead
The initial results are promising. The 2022 Maharashtra report card showed a high degree of performance across all parameters for English, Marathi, and Hindi. Our third-party assessment with Insight Development Consulting Group reveals that in our FLN project in Maharashtra, students from Grades 1, 3, and 5 have grown by 10.67% in literacy and 13.86% in numeracy between 2021-22 and 2023-24. We have scaled our programs to 5 states across 12 districts and cities, through which we have reached 8.8 million students.
However, there is still a long way to go before the 2026-27 goal is met. This will require the continued participation of all stakeholders – teachers, administrators, leaders, partner organizations, parents, and communities. By working together, we can ensure that every child has the opportunity to reach their full potential.
This is an ongoing effort, and we are committed to working with the government and other stakeholders to ensure that every child in Maharashtra receives a quality education. We believe that by 2027, our efforts will lay the foundation for a new generation of students to achieve their dreams.