Itanagar, February 26 – Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu inaugurated the Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) Centre in Doimukh, in the Papum Pare district, marking a significant step towards strengthening early childhood and primary education in the state.
The FLN Centre, aligned with the vision of the National Education Policy 2020 and the NIPUN Bharat Mission of the Indian government, is a pioneering initiative in the country dedicated to ensuring that every child acquires foundational literacy and numeracy skills by the end of Grade 3, while remaining attuned to the local culture and educational needs of Arunachal Pradesh.
During the inauguration, the Chief Minister stated that foundational skills form the basis of all future learning and emphasized that a child who cannot read with understanding or perform basic mathematical operations in primary classes is at risk of falling behind in subsequent stages of education.
He described the Centre as a transformative reform aimed at strengthening early learning outcomes in government schools through structured, activity-based, and child-centric approaches.
The Centre employs a play-based pedagogy and encourages the use of the mother tongue or local languages in early grades to ensure better comprehension and learning comfort among children.
It provides for continuous assessment and remedial support, while placing strong emphasis on teacher capacity building and active community participation.
A senior Education Department official said that the literacy component focuses on oral language development through storytelling and conversation, phonics-based reading instruction, guided reading comprehension, dictation practice, and writing skills development.
A customized Android board with digital lectures aligned with the CBSE curriculum has been introduced to promote activity-based learning.
The numeracy component develops number sense and basic arithmetic proficiency through the Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract approach, along with problem-solving skills and peer learning.
In addition, the Centre houses a Cultural Heritage Hub designed to provide children with exposure to the rich traditional knowledge and diverse tribal heritage of Arunachal Pradesh, enabling them to stay connected with their roots.
A STEM and SPACE Lab equipped with more than 80 scientific and space technology instruments has also been established to promote experiential learning and foster scientific temper among students up to Class XII.
Khandu observed that the initiative represents a collective effort supported by NHPC Limited, HDFC Bank, the district administration's Untied Fund, the Local Area Development Fund (LADF) from the Pare Hydro Project, and CSR contributions.
He expressed sincere appreciation to Doimukh MLA Nabam Vivek and all stakeholders for their commitment, and especially congratulated the District Administration, particularly Deputy Commissioner Visakha Yadav, for her leadership in translating the vision into reality.