Page 30 - 10X GOOD Issue 17 October

FROM
CLASSROOM TO
ECONOMY:
The Power of
Foundational Learning
The provision of foundational skills to children in our country
encounters significant challenges, particularly during the early stages
of education (pre-primary and primary levels). Addressing these issues
requires urgent and collective action from all sectors of society
he ineffective delivery of foundational
skills in education has a profound impact
on our country’s economy. Foundational
skills—especially in literacy, numeracy,
T and socio-emotional development—are
critical for personal growth and employability, and
the absence of these skills results in skill gaps,
unemployment, and lower productivity. These in turn
lead to reduced economic growth and lower income
of the workforce enhancing income inequality.
Education is a key driver of human capital
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development, and poor foundational skills impede
our ability to build a strong, innovative, and skilled
workforce.
The delivery of foundational skills to children in our
country faces numerous challenges. These issues are
particularly evident at the early stages of education
(pre-primary and primary levels) and need urgent
attention from various quarters of society.
Some key factors impacting the effective delivery of
foundational skills include:
1. Start Age and Quality of Early Childhood curiosity.
Education
Limited and delayed access to pre-primary education, The continued reliance on traditional teaching methods
limits the development of key foundational skills such
especially in rural areas, deprives many children of
as problem-solving, logical reasoning, and conceptual
timely and quality early learning opportunities. Early
understanding, especially in numeracy.
childhood education is vital for fostering cognitive
and language development, and without it, children’s To address this, we need to focus on training primary
education teachers in effective pedagogical methods as
readiness for elementary school is significantly affected.
part of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives.
The quality of early education varies greatly across
enhance the learning process and improve educational
states and schools, with inconsistencies in curriculum, Equipping teachers with the right skills will greatly
teacher training, and infrastructure, leading to uneven outcomes.
skill development among children. 3. Curriculum Design
As a society, it’s crucial to provide every child with early The curriculum is often not designed to meet the
specific needs of primary school students, with
access to education that includes standardized facilities insufficient emphasis on language development, basic
and training, ensuring they have the foundation to
thrive and succeed in their future endeavors. literacy, and numeracy skills.
Raising awareness among parents about the importance Lack of Contextualization: Teaching materials and
of early admission to Anganwadi and pre-primary curricula are frequently not adapted to the local
schools and emphasizing the long-term benefits of early context, language, and culture of the children. This
exposure to learning, is essential. Equipping Anganwadi disconnect between what is taught and the children’s
and pre-primary schools with proper facilities, trained real-life experiences can hinder their ability to grasp
teachers, nutritious meals, and medical care will also be foundational concepts.
key to supporting children’s growth and development.
Modification of curriculum and creation of content
2. Teacher Training and Pedagogical Methods which is relevant to local context is necessary.
Inadequate Teacher Training: Teachers, particularly in Introducing English language skills at an early age is
government and rural schools, often lack the necessary essential to ensure that children become comfortable
training to effectively teach foundational skills. Many with the language. In addition to language skills, it’s
are unfamiliar with age-appropriate pedagogy or child- crucial to incorporate innovative and simple methods to
centred approaches that promote critical thinking and teach numerical skills, making learning more engaging
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