The 3-day countrywide Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) survey initiated by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), New Delhi, concluded on Friday with some 1008 students of Grade-3 from 112 schools in all the 20 districts of Jammu and Kashmir taking part in the study. The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), J&K, which had been tasked with conducting the survey, had made all the necessary arrangements while roping in field investigators (FI) and District Coordinators (DC) from all the 40 District Institutes of Education and Training (DIET).The Joint Directors of the SCERT at both Jammu and Kashmir divisions besides supervising the survey had constituted teams of observers that travelled far and wide and across the length and breadth of the Union Territory to ensure that the survey takes place as per the guidelines provided by the NCERT. “It was a humongous task, however the dedication and the commitment of the teams made it relatively easy,” Deepak Sharma, who is the coordinator for FLN, NAS, said. “The rigorous training imparted by the SCERT to the FIs, DCs and Observers came handy who performed their tasks highly professionally” he added.His Kashmir counterpart, G H Reshi, echoed Sharma’s views and expressed his satisfaction over the smooth conduct of the survey.“In a run-up to the survey, the Educational Research Survey and Assessment (ERSA) Wings of the SCERT, at both the Divisions, had conducted orientation programs to train the FIs and DCs,” Reshi said. “Experts, who had prior experience in sampling techniques, were roped in for the purpose” he added.
Earlier Director SCERT, Prof Veena Pandita, while enumerating the aims and objectives of the survey, said that every grade-3 child, as per the NIPUN Bharat Mission, must attain foundational literacy and numeracy by 2026-27.“Foundational learning comprises integrated and holistic development of a child that ensures children maintain good health and wellbeing besides learning effective communicative skills,” Prof Pandita said. “The study shall provide a first-hand understanding of the learning levels of the students at the foundational learning stage at the end of Grade 3, added she”The study, Prof Pandita said, is the first of its kind in the world as it aims to set up benchmarks for reading with comprehension in 22 Indian languages.As per a Ministry of Education communiqué approximately one hundred thousand students from 10,000 schools participated in the survey. “The objective of the survey is to conduct a large-scale assessment of the foundational learning of grade 3 students to establish a baseline for the National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy (NIPUN) Bharat mission, “read a statement from the Ministry.The study, the statement added, will help in establishing reading proficiency benchmarks for fluency with comprehension for each of the languages being assessed under the study and provide the data for sustainable development goals (SDG 4.1.1.), covering aspects of foundational literacy and numeracy.