This blog explores the reasons for student absenteeism at the foundational level (grades 1-3) in India. It also presents a concise call to action for policymakers and all stakeholders to collectively address the root causes and forge a path toward an education system that embodies the spirit of 'learning for all.'
प्रधानमंत्री नरेंद्र मोदी के कार्यकाल में उनकी दूर दृष्टि,कड़ी मेहनत और संकल्प के कारण भारत का मान सम्मान पूरी दुनिया में निरंतर बढ़ रहा है। आपदाग्रस्त कमजोर देशों की सम्यक…
With a good sense of the state of evidence on EdTech, this blog analyzes EdTech policies of different countries and their approach towards implementation of these policies for school education. Countries of focus here are Singapore, the United States of America (USA), China, and Indonesia, and are chosen for their relevance to the Indian context.
Assessments, if utilized effectively, can be a powerful tool for improving Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) levels. They not only gauge the progress of a child's learning but also shape and inform teaching methodologies and strategies. By tuning these assessments to be more relevant, reliable, regular, and responsive, we can enhance the quality of education, enabling more meaningful learning experiences for children. Let’s explore how each of these principles shapes the work we do at CSF, driving significant learning outcomes.
This blog aims to shed light on some of the key events that took place during and prior to 4th Education Working group meeting which led to the culmination of the education working group track under India’s G20 presidency.
What memories do you have of your summer break? Most of us made our fondest childhood memories during this time. It was a break that all children looked forward to with joyous anticipation- a time to play without care, pick up new hobbies at a summer camp, learn about new things through school assigned activities, visit new places with family and for some of us, catch up with school work and even get ahead on our syllabus. Even teachers looked forward to the same to take a break from their schedules and plan a vacation with their own children. We may also be familiar with parents being a bit hassled with the need to “engage their children productively” often with concealed plans to “cover the syllabus in advance!". Unfortunately, this may not be the reality for the majority of the students attending government schools in the country.
As per the guidelines laid down in the National Education Policy 2020, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) introduced SAFAL (Structured Assessment for Analyzing Learning Levels) - a competency-based assessment for grades 3, 5, and 8, marking a shift from conventional standardized tests to more comprehensive evaluations.
There have been sincere efforts from government as well as non-government actors, across the globe and in India, to solve the problem of low learning levels among children through programs, projects, and interventions for ‘quality education’ at the school, block, district, and state level. However, the fact that most of them have not led to any substantial, lasting or sustainable impact, visible at a state, or country level is a testament to this challenge being a ‘wicked’ one.
The CSF Education Conclave was hosted by CSF on April 11, 2023, at the India Habitat Centre, with the aim of discussing issues related to foundational literacy and numeracy under India's NIPUN Bharat mission. The event included panel discussions, conversations with experts, and had over 230 attendees from the education sector in India and globally. Discussions focused on improving foundational literacy and numeracy at the state government level, with government representatives from Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, and Telangana sharing their experiences. The conclave also highlighted the role of EdTech and early childhood care and education as critical enablers of FLN.
This is the second part of a two-part series on behavioral interventions to improve parental engagement on FLN. In the first part of the blog series, we described the findings from the diagnostic research conducted by CSF and CSBC, behavioral design principles for our interventions, and the workbook intervention. This article describes the WhatsApp-based intervention and key recommendations for adopting parent behavioral interventions at scale.