Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Monday launched the State government’s ambitious Ennum Ezhuthum Mission, which aims at addressing the learning gap caused by the COVID-19 pandemic among primary school students and ensuring foundational literacy and numeracy.
Speaking at the launch of the initiative in Tiruvallur district, Mr. Stalin said the programme would cover students of Classes 1 to 3 from government and government-aided schools across Tamil Nadu. “By 2025, we want all children within the age of 8 to have foundational literacy and numeracy. Schools were shut for nearly one-and-a-half years, which resulted in children not being able to learn in classrooms. We want to address the learning gap through this programme,” he said.
The Ennum Ezhuthum Mission was conceived after committees were formed for Tamil, English, and Mathematics, and district- and State-level meetings were held, during which opinions were sought from teachers. The Chief Minister said education for all was the motto of the government, and elementary education in particular needed attention as it was the foundation for children in their educational journey.
“We need to go beyond regular lessons, and the programme will ensure that learning is fun for students. There will be several activities which will ensure that the students’ interest in learning increases,” he said.
Minister for School Education Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi said the focus was on ensuring complete literacy in the State. “The Ennum Ezhuthum Mission will focus on English, Tamil and Mathematics, and will benefit at least 16 lakh students in the State,” he said.
Due to prolonged school closures, there was little learning that took place, and students had missed out on learning foundational concepts in language and arithmetic that they are supposed to be familiar with at their age.
As part of the Ennum Ezhuthum Mission, workbooks have been prepared for three learning levels, and students will be given books accordingly. Additionally, classrooms will be spruced up. They will have reading corners, puppetry, dance, games, storytelling and music to make learning more engaging and interactive.
A handbook has been prepared for teachers on how to guide students through the programme.
