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Q1. How does CSF engage within a state to strengthen Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN)? How does its work at the district level drive impact on the ground?

At CSF, our goal is to create systemic and sustainable improvements in FLN by working closely with state governments to make FLN a priority in the state.  Over the last three to four years,  CSF engaged closely with the states such as Bihar, Punjab, Odisha and Telangana to set targets and design tailored inputs such as teaching-learning materials (TLM) and capacity building programmes for teachers and middle management to support FLN implementation. However, we realised that strengthening last mile delivery could only happen by leveraging districts as the unit of change. Hence, in 2023, we began designing and implementing our District Project Management Unit (DPMU) model across states.

We work closely with the District administration and District Education Office to improve the implementation fidelity of the FLN missions by supporting them in monitoring and reviewing FLN progress, using data effectively and refining strategies based on real-time insights. An example of this can be ensuring that teaching learning material for foundational learning is not only distributed but also actively used in classrooms.

Our teams also conduct joint school visits with district officials to observe classroom and mentoring practices, understand the challenges teachers face and identify ways to improve instructional support. By embedding these feedback loops, we ensure that insights from the ground directly inform decision-making at the state level. Additionally, we focus on strengthening supportive supervision — equipping academic mentors with better tools and training to provide teachers with more meaningful guidance.

Beyond government systems, we also engage with communities and parents to reinforce learning at home. In some districts, we have piloted initiatives that improve parental engagement through simple, structured activities that align with what children are learning in school.

Ultimately, our work at the district level is about making FLN implementation more effective by ensuring that the right structures, accountability mechanisms and capacity-building initiatives are in place. This combination of policy design, governance support and classroom-level execution is what enables a real, measurable impact on children’s learning outcomes.

Q2. What are your views on the implementation and progress of the NIPUN Bharat Mission so far? Highlight a few state-level initiatives/models that have shown excellence and can be replicated  to strengthen foundational learning for children.

The NIPUN Bharat Mission has played a crucial role in making Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) a national priority. Over the past few years, we have seen several states taking ownership of FLN by designing structured interventions, strengthening governance mechanisms and integrating FLN goals into their academic frameworks. While progress varies across states, what stands out is that the ones making the most impact have embedded FLN into teacher support systems, classroom practices and community engagement efforts.

Here is a summary of the work done across different states:

• Assam: a Classroom Observation Tool (COT) was developed and piloted to track teaching practices, student engagement and instructional support. Training sessions equipped officials to use insights for targeted teacher support, ensuring improved classroom instruction.
• Odisha: a systematic TLM tracking system streamlined distribution, ensuring schools received essential learning materials. The Dhenkanal Summer Course was piloted to prevent learning loss, reinforcing FLN skills during vacations.
• Telangana: efforts focused on effective TLM use and academic monitoring. Insights from school visits informed evidence-based mentoring, improving teacher support and instructional quality.
• Punjab: textbooks were revised to enhance clarity, engagement and activity-based learning. Inputs from teachers and experts helped refine content, making books more interactive and student-friendly.
• Bihar: Gram Sabhas were leveraged to strengthen school attendance, TLM access and infrastructure. Local leaders, teachers and parents worked together, fostering community ownership in education.

These state-led initiatives highlight some of the most effective strategies for strengthening FLN—structured pedagogy, data-driven decision-making, community participation and continuous teacher support. The key now is to ensure sustained implementation, scalability and deeper integration within existing education systems to truly achieve the goals of NIPUN Bharat.

Q3. What role do teacher training and classroom practices play in improving FLN outcomes and how is CSF supporting this?

Teachers are at the heart of achieving FLN learning outcomes. No matter how well policies or programmes are designed, FLN outcomes ultimately depend on what happens inside the classroom. Effective teacher training and well-structured classroom practices can bridge the gap between intent and implementation, ensuring that every child builds strong literacy and numeracy skills in the early years.

One of the biggest challenges faced by teachers in early grades is that they may not have received specialised training in FLN pedagogy. Teaching foundational skills requires a different approach — breaking concepts into micro-competencies, using play-based learning and continuously assessing students to ensure they progress at the right pace. Training programmes must not only equip teachers with these strategies but also provide ongoing mentoring and in-classroom support.

We emphasise supportive supervision by strengthening the role of academic mentors. We have worked with states like Assam and Telangana to integrate mentoring and coaching models, ensuring that teachers receive continuous feedback, classroom-level support and access to structured resources rather than just one-time training sessions. In states like Punjab and Odisha, we have also helped develop micro-competency-based teaching approaches, where teachers focus on ensuring that students master foundational skills step by step.

Ultimately, improving FLN outcomes requires a shift from isolated training programmes to a continuous, classroom-focused professional development approach. By combining structured pedagogy, hands-on mentoring and data-driven feedback mechanisms, we can ensure that teachers feel supported and empowered to deliver quality foundational learning to every child.

Q4. How can community-level participation drive the successful implementation of FLN efforts in India?

Foundational literacy and numeracy cannot be achieved through classroom-based efforts alone. A child spends only a few hours in the classroom, but learning continues at home and in the community. When parents, local leaders and the broader community are engaged in a child’s education, it reinforces learning beyond the school environment and ensures sustained improvement in FLN outcomes.

One of the biggest barriers we see in early-grade learning is limited parental awareness about their role in supporting literacy and numeracy at home. Many parents, especially in rural areas, assume that learning is solely the responsibility of teachers. Different parents have different notions of what their child should be able to do in Class 2.

States like Punjab have recognised this and have institutionalised Mega Parent-teacher Meetings (PTMs) as platforms for direct engagement with parents, equipping them with strategies to support learning.

Beyond parents, community participation creates a strong local accountability system. In some states, School Management Committees (SMCs) and local volunteers have been instrumental in monitoring student attendance, supporting teachers and ensuring access to learning materials. Odisha, for instance, has implemented structured summer learning initiatives in collaboration with communities, ensuring that children continue to engage in foundational learning even outside the school year.

Bihar has leveraged Gram Sabha platforms to discuss education-related matters, ensuring that FLN remains a community priority. These meetings engage local leaders, parents and school authorities to track student progress, improve attendance and create awareness about the importance of early-grade learning.

Similarly, Telangana’s Bhadradri initiative has focused on revitalising PTMs by making them more engaging and action-oriented. These PTMs encourage parent participation and go beyond routine discussions to actively equip parents with hands-on strategies for supporting their child’s learning journey at home.

The key to successful FLN implementation is ensuring that learning does not stop at school gates. By building trust, equipping parents with simple tools and strengthening community ownership of education, we can create a multi-stakeholder approach that reinforces learning and accelerates progress toward NIPUN Bharat goals.

Q5. What should success in FLN look like for India by the end of 2026-27 and what, in your opinion, are some of the key steps needed to get there?

Success in FLN by 2026-27 should mean that every child in India, by the end of Grade 3, is able to read with comprehension and solve basic Mathematical problems confidently. It should no longer be the case that children are moving to higher grades without mastering foundational skills, which often leads to learning gaps that persist throughout their schooling. Beyond just improving average learning levels, success should also mean reducing disparities — ensuring that children from marginalised communities, remote areas and disadvantaged backgrounds have equitable access to quality foundational learning.

To get there, we need to focus on a few key priorities. 

First, scaling structured pedagogy — this means that every classroom should have a clear, evidence-based approach to teaching foundational skills, backed by strong TLMs, structured lesson plans and assessment-driven instruction. States like Telangana and Punjab have already made strides in this direction by aligning their curriculum with micro-competency-based approaches, and this needs to be adopted widely.

Second, teacher capacity-building must shift from one-time training to continuous, classroom-based support. This involves strong mentoring and coaching models, where teachers receive ongoing guidance on implementing FLN strategies effectively. Assam, for example, has worked towards strengthening supportive supervision and other states need to embed similar models into their systems.

Third, data-driven decision-making should be at the core of FLN implementation. Regular formative assessments must guide teaching and real-time tracking of student learning — like what Odisha has done through its assessment-linked planning models — can help states identify gaps early and intervene accordingly.

Finally, community participation must be strengthened. FLN cannot be the responsibility of schools alone — parents, local governance bodies and civil society together play a role in reinforcing learning at home. Bihar and Punjab have taken strong steps in this direction, whether through structured PTMs or at-home learning materials, and such efforts need to be scaled across the country.

By 2026-27, we should not only be measuring success in terms of learning outcomes but also system-level transformation — stronger teacher support mechanisms, sustainable community engagement and governance structures that prioritise FLN beyond policy commitments. With collective effort, FLN can truly become the foundation for lifelong learning in India.

About Dr. Parthajeet Das

Parthajeet leads the Strategic Support States team at CSF, which provides support to states in their programmes to improve foundational learning. The team takes a systems approach and strengthens the academic as well as governance intiatives of the states. Parthajeet holds a PhD and Masters in Management and has more than a decade of rich national and international experience across top management consulting firms of advising governments, multi-lateral donors and foundations.