Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (NEP, 2020) -Urgency, Essential Skills, Challenges and The Integration of Key Areas

The most critical period for growth and development is the initial eight years of a child’s life (ages 0 to 8), as this is when the foundation for comprehensive growth and learning is laid. Children who attend a high-quality preschool curriculum reach major social, educational, and intellectual milestones that set them apart from those who do not. Early childhood development is critical for children’s long-term development and can significantly impact their school enrolment and involvement. According to research, high-quality early childhood education programs lower the likelihood of dropping out and repeating school and increase educational performance at all levels. With education systems worldwide faltering in various ways, which skills—and at what stage in a student’s life—make the most significant difference in their long-term outcomes needs emphasis. Foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) skills are one set of skills that international organizations place a high focus on. It is against this backdrop that the 2020 Policy on Education (NEP, 2020) strongly advocated that Foundational Literacy and Numeracy be strengthened in a mission mode and launched NIPUN- Bharat with a vision to ensure universal literacy and numeracy for Class 3 children by 2026-27 through coupling together of some critical areas.