More than half of India’s children struggle with basic reading and math skills upon completing primary schooling, a concerning issue that prompted the formulation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. This policy introduced the NIPUN Bharat Programme, aimed at ensuring foundational literacy and numeracy for all students by the end of Grade 3.
NEP 2020: A Transformative Approach
The NEP 2020, a pioneering education policy of the 21st century, replaced the outdated National Policy on Education (NPE) 1986. Dr. K Kasturirangan-led committee spearheaded this policy, emphasizing five foundational pillars: Access, Equity, Quality, Affordability, and Accountability. The NEP 2020 aligns with the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and strives to elevate India’s education system to foster a knowledge-driven society. It advocates holistic, flexible, and multidisciplinary learning, catering to individual student strengths.
NIPUN Bharat Programme: Bridging the Gap
The NIPUN Bharat Programme, a key component of the NEP 2020, endeavors to create an environment where every child attains foundational literacy and numeracy by the end of Grade 3, by 2026-27. The program focuses on essential aspects such as access to education, teacher capacity building, resource development, and progress tracking. It operates under the umbrella of the Samagra Shiksha scheme, which amalgamates Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan, and Teacher Education.
Recent developments have seen the Ministry of Education narrow the scope of NIPUN Bharat, excluding Grade 3 children and concentrating on Grades 1-2. This shift aligns with the curricular structure outlined in NEP 2020 and the National Curricular Framework (NCF) 2023, emphasizing a foundational stage spanning preschool and the first two years of primary schooling. Consequently, the reasoning behind this decision is to harmonize the program’s objectives with the educational framework.
The Imperative to Extend Early Literacy Programs
Several factors highlight the necessity of extending early literacy and numeracy programs:
- Role of Aanganwadi Centers: Aanganwadi centers mainly focus on health and nutrition for 3–6-year-olds, with limited provision of quality pre-school education. Establishing comprehensive educational services for this age group remains a distant goal.
- Access Challenges: Around 68% of children aged three to six lack access to educational services in India, often encountering literacy only in Grade 1, posing initial barriers to learning.
- Language Disparities: A considerable 35% of children grapple with language disparities between home and school languages, especially during their primary schooling years.
Expanding Support for Early Literacy and Numeracy
To address these challenges, the following steps are recommended:
- Extended Support: Prolonged support for children through Grades 1-5 to establish robust language and numeracy foundations, focusing on pedagogical practices suitable for the three to eight-year age group.
- Comprehensive Skill Development: The NEP and NCF’s foundational stage must encompass a broad range of literacy and numeracy skills, acknowledging that these skills develop gradually over the initial years of schooling.
- Broadened Vision: A nuanced understanding of early foundational learning is crucial. Literacy should not be reduced to mechanical reading but should include oral expression, comprehension, and contextual relevance.
- Expanded Scope: To enhance early literacy and numeracy and provide a broader educational perspective, extending the NIPUN Bharat Programme’s scope to Grade 5 is recommended.
UPSC Mains Questions
- How does the NEP 2020 address the shortcomings of the previous education policy and align with global educational goals?
- What are the main focus areas of the NIPUN Bharat Programme, and how does it plan to achieve universal foundational literacy and numeracy?
- What was the rationale behind the recent decision to limit the NIPUN Bharat Programme’s scope to Grades 1-2, and how does it relate to the NEP 2020 and NCF 2023?
- In what ways can the challenges related to Aanganwadi centers, limited access to education, and language disparities be effectively mitigated to strengthen early literacy and numeracy efforts?
