Meghalaya continues to fare poorly in the education sector. This time, the State has been ranked low in the overall state of foundational learning of children aged below ten years.
This was revealed in the State of Foundational Literacy and Numeracy in India. The report was released at the webinar organised on December 16. The report prepared by the Institute for Competitiveness highlights the importance of early education years in the overall development of a child. It further highlights the role of well-planned early interventions like the National Education Policy (2020) and the NIPUN Bharat guidelines, leading to long-term improved learning outcomes.
Among the eight North East states, Meghalaya got a score of 41.37. It was ranked at the sixth position. Mizoram topped the ranking with a score of 51.64 followed by Sikkim in second position with a score of 51.14. Manipur was placed in third position with a score of 50.95. Arunachal Pradesh was at the bottom of the ranking with a score of only 36.88.
In the small states category, Kerala secured the top position with a score of 67.95. In the large states category, the top position was bagged by West Bengal with a score of 58.95. In the union territories category, Lakshadweep with a score of 52.69 topped the ranking.
The index includes five pillars comprising 41 indicators. The five pillars are educational infrastructure, access to education, basic health, learning outcomes, and governance.
Zero hunger, good health and well being, and access to education are the significant goals that have been mapped with the index on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy. Given the distinct levels of development of states across India and their varying child population size, states were categorised into different tiers to help bring forth better analysis.
Foundational Literacy and Numeracy refers to basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills that a child needs to develop in early years. Falling behind in the foundational learning years which encompass pre-school and elementary education makes children more vulnerable as it negatively impacts their learning outcomes.
The report said that the focus on foundational learning is the need of the hour to ensure universal access to quality education for all children in pre-primary and primary classes in India.
