Foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) skills are the gateway to all future learning in school. If children do not develop mastery in these skills in the early years of school, they can never catch up later. These include the ability to read fluently and with comprehension, strong oral expression, and the ability to perform basic mathematical operations.
The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 places the highest priority on foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN), deeming the rest of the policy largely irrelevant unless foundational learning is achieved first. Five years ago, India launched a national initiative to address one of the most significant challenges in education: Ensuring that every child attains foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) skills by the end of Grade 3.
The NIPUN Bharat Mission has succeeded in placing FLN at the centre of the national education agenda and mobilising the education system to improve learning outcomes. Implemented throughout the country, NBM introduced new and improved textbooks, workbooks, teacher handbooks, and other teaching-learning materials for early literacy and numeracy, along with FLN-focused teacher development programmes and regular assessments of learning outcomes. Early results from national learning surveys such as ASER (2024) and PARAKH (2024) show improvements in foundational learning outcomes across most states over the past few years.
FLN skills need to be mastered by all children. However, more than 50% of Grade 5 children are still unable to read a Grade 2-level text with comprehension. There is a vast variation in learning levels across states, districts, schools, and even within the same classroom. In many classrooms, 15 to 20% of children are learning very little. The average learning scores in the tribal-dominated districts are among the lowest in the country.
{{/usCountry}}FLN skills need to be mastered by all children. However, more than 50% of Grade 5 children are still unable to read a Grade 2-level text with comprehension. There is a vast variation in learning levels across states, districts, schools, and even within the same classroom. In many classrooms, 15 to 20% of children are learning very little. The average learning scores in the tribal-dominated districts are among the lowest in the country.
{{/usCountry}}At the current rate of incremental learning gains, it would take another 50 years for all children to be FLN-ready by the time they finish primary school.
The ministry of education's decision to continue focusing on foundational learning through NIPUN 2.0 for the next five years and extend the Mission up to Grade 5 is a step in the right direction. The next phase of the mission rests on six major priorities that must shape the design and implementation of NIPUN.
First, to reduce disparities across schools and within classrooms, equity must be the guiding principle of the entire education system. There is a need to move beyond averages and focus on raising the floor by targeting higher learning gains for children at the bottom of the learning ladder. Regular reinforcement, support to children who are struggling to learn, and periodic catch-up programmes can be instrumental in reducing learning disparities.
Second, teaching practices in the foundational years need to become more inclusive and participatory, where children are actively engaged in learning. The TLPS 2025 highlights the need to move away from one-way teacher talk, choral repetition, and copying, toward practices that foster children's confidence, conversation, reasoning, and writing in their own words
Third, a multilingual education (MLE) approach to foundational learning needs to be implemented in several parts of the country, especially in areas with significant tribal populations, where children's home languages differ from the school's medium of instruction. As the NEP 2020 emphasises, including these home languages and building a bridge to the school language are crucial to children's self-confidence and learning.
Fourth, the quality of teacher professional development, both pre-service and in-service, needs urgent attention. Evidence shows that a comprehensive, continuous professional development approach that includes training workshops, short, blended courses, structured cluster-level meetings that provide peer learning opportunities, and on-site coaching can improve teaching practices in a sustained manner.
Fifth, the middle-tier administrative cadre of District and Block Education Officers can play a stronger role in learning improvement by focusing on teaching practices alongside their administrative duties. This will require reorienting their roles and building their capacity to become leaders in educational change.
Sixth, multi-grade teaching strategies need to be implemented at scale, since in almost 70% of the country's government primary schools, one teacher teaches more than one grade. These strategies can increase students' time on learning tasks, a precondition for improved learning. Alongside this, filling teacher vacancies and rational teacher deployment will help ameliorate extreme multi-grade situations.
The next phase of NIPUN must move from early gains to universal outcomes—so that no child’s future is determined by where they are born, their gender, or their family circumstances.
(The views expressed are personal)
This article is authored by Dhir Jhingran, founder and executive director, Language and Learning Foundation.