Itanagar, Feb 26: Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Thursday inaugurated the Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) Centre at Doimukh near here, marking a significant step towards strengthening early childhood and primary education in Arunachal Pradesh.
The FLN Centre, aligned with the vision of the National Education Policy and the NIPUN Bharat Mission of the Government of India, is described as a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country. It aims to ensure that every child attains foundational literacy and numeracy skills by the end of Grade III, while remaining rooted in the local culture and educational needs of the state.
Addressing the gathering, Khandu emphasized that foundational skills form the bedrock of all future learning. He noted that children who are unable to read with comprehension or perform basic mathematical operations in primary classes risk falling behind in higher grades. He termed the FLN Centre a transformative reform focused on improving early learning outcomes in government schools through structured, activity-based and child-centric approaches.
The Centre adopts play-based pedagogy and promotes the use of mother tongue or local languages in early grades to enhance comprehension and learning comfort among children. It incorporates continuous assessment and remedial support, with strong emphasis on teacher capacity building and community participation.
The literacy component focuses on oral language development through storytelling and conversation, phonics-based reading instruction, guided reading comprehension, dictation exercises and writing skills development. A customised Android board featuring digital lectures aligned with the CBSE curriculum has been introduced to support activity-based learning.
The numeracy component seeks to develop number sense and basic arithmetic proficiency using the Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract approach, along with problem-solving skills and peer learning techniques.
The Centre also houses a Cultural Heritage Hub to familiarise children with the traditional knowledge and diverse tribal heritage of Arunachal Pradesh, helping them stay connected to their roots.
In addition, a STEM and Space Lab equipped with over 80 scientific and space technology instruments has been established to promote experiential learning and foster scientific temper among students up to Class XII.
Khandu described the initiative as a collective effort supported by NHPC Limited, HDFC Bank, the district administration’s Untied Fund, the Local Area Development Fund (LADF) from the Pare Hydroelectric Project, and other CSR contributions.
He expressed appreciation to Doimukh MLA Nabam Vivek and all stakeholders for their commitment, and specially congratulated the District Administration, particularly Deputy Commissioner Visakha Yadav, for her leadership in translating the vision into reality.