U.P. expands NIPUN Mission to boost literacy in Classes 3 to 5
The NIPUN Bharat Mission will now extend to classes 3-5 in over 1.5 lakh government-run schools, aiming to enhance foundational literacy and numeracy.
Lakhs of students enrolled in classes 3 to 5 in more than 1.5 lakh government-run and government-aided primary (up to class 5) and composite schools (classes 1 to 8) across the state will now undergo an educational litmus test.
The state government has decided to expand the reach of the NIPUN Bharat Mission scheme. Previously, the scheme was implemented in Uttar Pradesh to promote numeracy and basic literacy for children from Balvatika (pre-primary) to class 2. Although this scheme is theoretically applicable only up to class 2, in practice, even children up to class 3 have been included as part of efforts to achieve minimum educational learning standards in Uttar Pradesh.
However, now, in line with guidelines sent by the Union ministry of education, in the context of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and National Curriculum Framework (NCF), this scheme will also be implemented for classes 3 to 5 in these institutions, according to officials from the state basic education department.
For this purpose, an 11-member committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of the Director of the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), they added.
Director general (school education) Kanchan Verma, in her directive dated August 8, has instructed the committee to determine the target list for classes 3 to 5. The committee is also required to submit its report within a week on the proposed subjects under the programme, along with the action plan for achieving the set targets and financial provisions.
The directive, a copy of which is with HT, also lists the names of the committee members, with a senior expert (Quality-Samagra Shiksha) as its member secretary.
NIPUN Mission
The Union ministry of education launched the National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy (NIPUN) Bharat Mission on July 5, 2021. The aim is to ensure that every child in the country attains foundational literacy and numeracy by Grade 3 by 2026-27. The mission’s implementation guidelines detail the academic and administrative structures required to prioritise learning at the foundational stage.
To actualise the mission, a five-tier implementation mechanism—from national to state, district, block/cluster, and school levels—has been established to ensure cross-linkages. The roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders and institutions at each of these levels have also been outlined in the guidelines.