A child reacts as 44 years old Preeti Upadhyay, a teacher, conducts an activity session with the students as part of the Foundational Literacy and Numeracy programme at a govt. primary school at Bhardi village in Kalapipal, Shajapur, Madhya Pradesh, India, July 2023. Preeti says, "Since the Ankur mission came along, our school has changed a lot in how we teach and learn. I've been a teacher here for a long time, and I've never seen students so interested and active before. Our teaching methods have gotten better, and we use different tools to help students learn. Even though our school building isn't the best and we only have one room for all the classes, I make sure learning isn't affected. I work hard to help each student do their best, even with the challenges we face. We've introduced different things to make learning more fun. Our school is now a "bagless" school, so kids don't need to carry heavy books. We have lots of learning materials in school, and you can find them everywhere, even on the walls! I start each class by praying with the students, and then we use these materials to do various activities that help us learn better. I also talk to the students' mothers regularly to help them use the same methods at home. We encourage students to create a special study corner at home. Learning is more about doing activities, so kids don't feel like it's a lot of pressure. It's fun to learn this way. Some videos of our students learning with these materials have been shortlisted for the G20 event. I'm really proud of how well our students are doing. I share videos of them learning, and now parents are more interested in what their kids are learning. They're also creating awareness within their circle about it." "I cherish being a teacher, and I hope all my students do really well in life despite studying at a govt. school, she adds." CSF/India/Srishti Bhardwaj
In this piece, Dr Akashi Kaul (Director, RMEAL, CSF) talks about how PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan (PRS) 2024, is shaping India’s approach to foundational learning by offering a system-wide lens on student outcomes. Using the PRS 2024 findings, she highlights key trends in early grade learning, persistent equity gaps and the effectiveness of public education systems. The piece also explores how PRS can be leveraged by policymakers and educators alike to drive targeted interventions, strengthen classroom practice, and align with NEP 2020 goals.