Centre plans to extend literacy, numeracy programme till Class 5

The education ministry has proposed extending the NIPUN Bharat Mission up to Class 5 as learning surveys continue to show gaps in foundational literacy and numeracy

The education ministry has proposed extending the National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy (NIPUN) Bharat Mission — the Centre’s foundational literacy and numeracy programme currently targeted at children up to Class 3 — to Class 5, according to people aware of the development.

 

The ministry is awaiting Cabinet approval for the proposal. “The PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan Result 2024 put the literacy and numeracy figures at around 60 per cent, so we want to scale that up for children who may have missed out in junior classes,” a senior official said.

 

Launched in 2021 under the Samagra Shiksha programme, the NIPUN Bharat Mission aims to ensure that all children attain foundational literacy and numeracy skills, including basic reading, writing and arithmetic, by the end of Class 3 by 2026-27. The programme was introduced in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 to address learning gaps in early schooling through targeted interventions, teacher support and continuous assessment of learning outcomes.

 

The proposed expansion would mark a shift from the mission’s original design by extending support to older students who may not have acquired foundational competencies in the early years of schooling.

 

The Department of School Education and Literacy has finalised the proposal after taking into account that several students may not have attained foundational learning competencies by Class 3, creating a need to extend support further, the people said.

 

According to the PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan (PRS) 2024, Grade 3 proficiency levels increased compared to the National Achievement Survey (NAS) 2021, with 57 per cent of students demonstrating proficiency or above in language and 65 per cent in mathematics, up from 39 per cent and 42 per cent, respectively, in NAS 2021. However, around four in 10 children still remained below expected competency levels in foundational learning.

 

The move follows recommendations by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports, tabled on March 27, 2023, which flagged persistent gaps in foundational learning outcomes and stressed the need to strengthen early-grade interventions under school education schemes.

 

The proposed extension comes amid continued concerns that despite improvements in early-grade learning outcomes, a significant proportion of students progress to higher classes without achieving basic reading and arithmetic proficiency, prompting calls for sustained foundational support beyond Class 3.

 

If approved, the expansion is expected to require changes in implementation guidelines under Samagra Shiksha, including revisions in learning outcomes, teacher training modules and assessment frameworks to extend coverage up to Class 5 under the foundational learning framework.