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29th January 2025 (12 Topics)

Success in the Classroom

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Context

The latest Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) highlights improvements in foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) among primary and secondary students, marking a recovery in learning outcomes after the disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. The report underlines that the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020’s focus on foundational learning is yielding positive results, especially in government schools.

Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Education

  • Covid-19-induced Learning Loss: The prolonged school closures during the pandemic led to a significant learning gap, particularly among underprivileged children who lacked access to digital education.
  • Widening Learning Gap: The Economic Survey had highlighted that the pandemic worsened disparities in educational outcomes, making it more urgent to address learning losses.
  • Recovery Post-Pandemic: The ASER report notes that the foundational skills of schoolchildren have improved since the pandemic, with primary and secondary students now showing better skills than before the pandemic.

Role of NEP 2020 and Teacher Training

  • Teacher-Centric Approach: The NEP 2020 has emphasized the importance of teacher training in foundational skills, and states have rolled out large-scale programs to train educators in these skills.
  • Impact on Classroom Practices: The ASER report highlights that teachers have become more empathetic to the needs of younger students, contributing to a better learning environment in classrooms.
  • Training Still in Progress: While teacher training is making an impact, the ASER survey stresses that there is still much work to be done to improve post-training support and classroom-specific solutions for teachers.

Challenges and Future Concerns

  • Contradiction between FLN and Syllabus Completion: A key challenge identified by the ASER report is the tension between ensuring foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) and completing the prescribed syllabus, with teachers often focusing on the latter.
  • Long-term Impact of Foundational Learning: Over 100 million children are currently in the foundational learning stage, and their future education will be crucial for India’s demographic dividend.
  • Urgency of Policy Action: While positive results are noted, the ASER report urges policymakers to focus on the remaining challenges and invest in ensuring long-term improvements in educational outcomes.
Practice Question

Q. Critically analyze the impact of the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 on foundational learning outcomes in India, and discuss the challenges that remain in ensuring universal foundational literacy and numeracy."

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