Context:

• The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 emphasises Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) as the basis for all future learning.
• Through the NIPUN Bharat Mission, this vision has shifted from focusing on inputs to prioritising measurable learning outcomes.
• As a result, foundational learning — stagnant for years — is now showing notable improvement, as seen in both government and independent assessments.
• However, a significant challenge remains: numeracy is consistently weaker than literacy. ASER 2024 highlights this gap — while 48.7% of Class 5 students can read fluently, only 30.7% can solve a basic division problem.
• Importantly, no State in India reports higher numeracy scores than literacy. This persistent disparity makes strengthening numeracy essential for achieving comprehensive foundational learning.

Why Numeracy Lags Behind: The Cumulative Nature of Math

• Mathematics is hierarchical — each new concept depends on mastering earlier ones.
• If foundational ideas like place value are not understood in early grades, students struggle later with addition, decimals, and more complex operations.
• Unlike language, partial understanding doesn’t allow progress in math, so gaps expand over time.
• Curriculum Progression vs. Learning Levels
  • Traditional syllabus-driven teaching moves ahead regardless of whether students have understood earlier concepts.
  • Evidence from Teaching at the Right Level (Pratham) shows that instruction must match the child’s learning level, not the textbook.
  • Without such alignment, most learners fall behind, widening learning disparities.
• Real-Life Application Gap
  • Research reveals a disconnect between classroom math and everyday problem-solving.
  • Students who perform well on school math tests struggle with market-based calculations.
  • Children familiar with real-world arithmetic (e.g., shop work) often cannot transfer these skills to classroom-style math problems.
  • This two-way gap underscores the need for integrated, practical learning.

Consequences of Weak Numeracy

• Poor foundational numeracy leads to difficulties in math and science, both of which have higher failure rates in board exams.
• Many students drop out in middle or secondary school not due to lack of interest, but because learning gaps make classroom teaching incomprehensible.
• Fear of math blocks access to higher education for many who cannot clear Class 10 or leave school earlier.

Way Forward

• Extend Foundational Interventions Beyond Class 3
  • The current FLN focus up to Class 3 is insufficient since 70% of Class 5 and over 50% of Class 8 students still cannot do basic division.
  • Extending interventions up to Class 8 — as successfully demonstrated in Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu — is essential to bridge learning gaps, especially after COVID-19 disruptions.
• Introduce FLN+ Skills for Higher Grades
  • Beyond foundational numeracy, upper primary children need fractions, decimals, percentages, ratios and integers to succeed in board exams and progress academically.
  • With most Class 5 students unable to do division, they also lack these higher-level skills — making FLN+ indispensable.
• Reform Pedagogy to Match Learning Levels
  • Teaching must shift from rigid, grade-based syllabi to activity-based, child-friendly methods used in FLN.
  • Instruction should be aligned with students’ learning levels, not just the curriculum, especially at higher grades where gaps widen sharply.
• Integrate Real-Life Problem-Solving
  • Classrooms should embed numeracy and literacy in real-life contexts.
  • Connecting learning to everyday situations strengthens comprehension, improves transfer of skills, and increases student engagement.

Why This Matters: Urgency for India’s Future

• The numeracy gap deepens as students advance through school and leads to:
  • poor learning outcomes,
  • high board exam failure rates,
  • rising dropouts, and
  • weakened employability and equity.
• The NIPUN Bharat Mission has proven that large-scale improvement is possible.
• The next step is to expand this progress to upper primary classes and FLN+, ensuring continuity of learning and preparing students for future academic and economic opportunities.