PNN
Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], May 9: DEVI Sansthan successfully hosted Leadership Circle 3, concluding today at the WUCC Auditorium, City Montessori School, LDA Branch, Lucknow. The two-day seminar brought together over 600 education leaders, policy-makers, and changemakers from across India to strengthen the national movement for Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN), aligned with the NIPUN Bharat Mission. The Chief Guest for the event was Mr. Awanish Kumar Awasthi (IAS), Chief Advisor to the Chief Minister, Government of Uttar Pradesh. Other distinguished guests included Mr. Puneet Bali, Director of Smile Foundation; Mr. Arun Arora, Executive Director of Chetak Foundation; Ms. Gauri Bhure-Roy, CSR Head at DXC Technology; and Mr. Yogesh Kumar, Head of HCL Foundation, among others. A key highlight of Day 2 was the formal signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between DEVI Sansthan and the district administration of Asifabad, Telangana, to initiate the pilot implementation of the ALfA program in the region.
In his address, Mr. Awasthi emphasized, "Strong learning outcomes in children and effective skilling of youth are the cornerstones of a nation's growth. Countries like China have made remarkable strides in technology and infrastructure--especially in schools--laying a strong foundation for future generations. In India, through initiatives like the NIPUN Bharat Mission, we are also seeing promising progress. In Uttar Pradesh alone, about 1,18,000 schools exist, out of which 80,000 have applied for NIPUN accreditation, and 57,000 have achieved NIPUN readiness. While this is an encouraging milestone, there is still a critical need to further strengthen learning outcomes and empower schools to independently conduct and prepare for NIPUN assessments."
Building on the success of previous editions, Leadership Circle 3 evolved from a state-level initiative into a nationwide platform, drawing participation from mid-level government officials--Block Education Officers (BEOs), DIET Principals, and Block Resource Coordinators--from 10 states and union territories, including Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu, Telangana, Maharashtra, Delhi, Jharkhand, Sikkim, Nagaland, and Andhra Pradesh. Participants engaged in dynamic panel discussions on topics such as "FLN - The World's Best Investment," "Overcoming Challenges to FLN for All," and "Quality Education & Grassroot NGOs." Hands-on training sessions introduced attendees to the Accelerating Learning for All (ALfA) pedagogy, DEVI Sansthan's evidence-based, fast-track approach to foundational learning.
One of the highlights was the Educators' Panel on Day 2, where leaders from Jammu, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, and other states shared their ALfA implementation experiences. Mr. Babu Singh, Zonal Education Officer from Jammu, remarked, "Around 30 trainers in our district have been trained with modern methodologies. It is vital to constantly update teaching methods and empower educators with innovative tools. We are now implementing these approaches across all zones."
The ALfA methodology, developed through extensive research and practical field experience, is designed to accelerate foundational literacy and numeracy for children across varied contexts. Since its introduction in 2022-23, the ALfA program has expanded from 20 schools to over 35,000 government schools across India and has been adapted into 33 national and international languages, setting the stage for global dissemination. Implementation efforts are ongoing in states like Uttar Pradesh, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Telangana, Jharkhand, and select regions in Maharashtra, Haryana, and Punjab, with more partnerships in progress.
Dr. Sunita Gandhi, Founder of DEVI Sansthan, emphasized the event's significance, stating, "Leadership Circle 3 witnessed enthusiastic participation, with leaders sharing ground-level experiences of adopting innovative methodologies to boost student learning outcomes. The event successfully unified educators, teachers, and officials onto a common platform to strategize for achieving the NIPUN 2027 goals. The role of government officials is particularly crucial in ensuring the statewide adoption and sustainability of these innovative practices."
A special focus was placed on building institutional capacity across 50 blocks in Uttar Pradesh to embed foundational learning practices deeply into the education system, ensuring scalability and sustainability. DEVI Sansthan aims to reach over 500,000 students in the next five years through these initiatives.
About DEVI Sansthan
Dignity Education Vision International (DEVI Sansthan), founded in 1992 and based in Lucknow, is a non-profit organization dedicated to transforming foundational education for children and adults. Working through collaborations with governments, NGOs, schools, and corporates, DEVI Sansthan delivers fast-track, holistic learning solutions to underserved communities across India and globally.
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