Foundational Literacy and Numeracy refers to basic reading, writing and mathematics skills that a child needs to develop in the early years

Dr Bibek Debroy, Chairman, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM), released the report on the State of Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) in India at a webinar organised on December 16, 2021. The report is a joint publication of the Institute for Competitiveness and EAC-PM, stated a press release issued from New Delhi on December 16, 2021.

The report highlights the importance of the foundational learning years in the overall development of a child and further emphasizes on the role of well-planned early interventions like the National Education Policy (2020) and the NIPUN Bharat guidelines, leading to long-term improved learning outcomes.

FLN refers to basic reading, writing and mathematics skills that a child needs to develop in the early years. Falling behind in the foundational learning years which encompass pre-school and elementary education makes children more vulnerable as it negatively impacts their learning outcomes. The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has further added to these existing issues pertaining to foundational learning years. Therefore, the focus on foundational learning is the need of the hour to ensure universal access to quality education for all children in pre-primary and primary classes in India.

Key highlights of the report

1. Kerala with a score of 67.95 and West Bengal with a score of 58.95 are the top-scoring regions in small and large states, respectively. Lakshadweep (52.69) and Mizoram (51.64) are top-scoring regions in Union Territory and North East state category.

2. There is a huge gap between the scores of Kerala and the rest of the states of India. This vast variation is observed in the learning outcomes and educational infrastructure, which necessitates immediate attention for the rest of the country.

3. Only 17 states and 4 union territories have scored above the national average of 48.38 on index of foundational literacy and numeracy. Some of the poor-performing states in the overall index rankings emerge from Jharkhand (45.28) and Odisha (45.58), Madhya Pradesh (38.69), Uttar Pradesh (38.46) and Bihar (36.81).

4. The challenge of access to education is a component that requires immediate attention within the states. The large states like Rajasthan (25.67), Gujarat (22.28) and Bihar (18.23) notably lag on this front, whereas the north-eastern states show the highest scores due to their better performance.