The Ministry of Education (MoE) will conduct a ‘foundational learning study'. The MoE's ‘foundational learning study' seeks to draw a first-hand understanding of the learning levels of the students at the foundational learning stage, or at the end of Class 3. The study, according to an official statement, is first of its kind in the world as it aims to set-up benchmarks for reading with comprehension in 22 Indian languages.
The Foundational Learning Study will be conducted by the NCERT in all the states and Union Territories over a window of four days between March 23 and March 26 in the sampled schools. As many as 10,000 schools and one lakh students are expected to participate in this study.
One of the specific objectives of the foundational learning study is to conduct a large-scale assessment of the foundational learning of Class 3 students to establish a baseline for the NIPUN Bharat mission.
To establish reading proficiency benchmarks for fluency with comprehension for each of the languages will also be assessed under the study.
The National Education Policy 2020 highlights that “the ability to read and write, and perform basic operations with numbers, is a necessary foundation and an indispensable prerequisite for all future schooling and lifelong learning”.
The statement further added: “Focusing on ‘learning achievement' in the foundational years is pertinent in order to provide the learners with capabilities to make their subsequent learning experiences more meaningful and absorbing.”
While the dimensions of learning can be manifold, the basic ability of reading with comprehension, writing and an understanding of the basic numeracy concepts (such as numbers, patterns etc.) relate to core learning goals at the foundational stage.
“To provide the data for SDG 4.1.1, covering aspects of foundational literacy and numeracy”, the statement while mentioning the objectives said.
The Foundational Learning study will enable to establish benchmarks in reading with comprehension in different Indian languages for children at Class 3 level. It will assess the ability to read age-appropriate known as well as unknown text at a certain pace, accurately, and with comprehension and also the foundational numeracy skills and form a baseline for the NIPUN Bharat Goals, it added.
