TRAINING OF MEMBERS OF VARISHT SHIKSHAK MANDAL (MASTER TRAINERS) ON FOUNDATIONAL LITERACY AND NUMERACY (FLN), MISSION NIPUN BHARAT 

Program Coordinator, SSA Addressing Participants at the Inaugural Session of the TOT Workshop 

[Text Wrapping Break]The Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) Master Trainers’ Training of Trainers (TOT) held in January 2023 (15 to 21 Jan) marked a significant milestone for Goa in the pursuit of educational excellence under the Mission NIPUN Bharat programme. The TOT was organized by the collaborative efforts of Goa Samagra Shiksha, SCERT Goa, and a team of experts from SMF. 

The primary objective of the Training of Trainers for Varisht Shikshak Mandal was to enhance participants’ conceptual understanding of the NIPUN Lakshyas, FLN concepts, and their practical execution in classrooms. Additionally, the program aimed to provide a nuanced understanding of facilitating an adult learner audience, specifically teachers. Another crucial goal was to offer participants an opportunity to conduct demo sessions, practice facilitation skills, and thereby build confidence in leading teachers’ training sessions. 

The overarching focus of the ToT workshop was on empowering the primary school teachers to enhance foundational literacy and numeracy outcomes, particularly at grade 1 and 2 levels. This involved generating activities specific to the learning outcomes and Lakhyas of FLN. Additionally, the TOT emphasized optimizing the use of teaching-learning materials for the key components of foundational literacy and numeracy. 

The training methodology adopted was highly interactive, ensuring that knowledge wasn’t just disseminated but accurately perceived and understood by participants. To achieve this, national level key resource persons actively engaged the Master Trainers from Varisht Shikshak Mandal in discussions throughout the training, keeping the forum open for feedback, suggestions and queries. These discussions and interactive sessions were complemented by relevant training materials and handouts focusing on FLN. 

Master Trainers Actively Involved in Group Work during the TOT Workshop 

Throughout the TOT, sessions were meticulously designed to focus on various aspects, including pedagogical skills, techniques of education for reading, art, and creativity, thematic areas of FLN such as oracy, literacy, and numeracy. Roleplays and facilitated discussions were integral to the training, providing practical insights. The key resource persons played a pivotal role by offering suggestions to enhance the delivery of these sessions. 

A notable outcome of the TOT was the establishment of the Varisht Shikshak Mandal (VSM), a permanent teacher training cadre for the state. This strategic measure ensured sustainability of the programme, enabling the state to maintain a continuous and structured approach to teacher training in foundational literacy and numeracy. The initiative aimed to equip Master Trainers with the skills necessary to positively impact primary school classrooms, contributing to the long-term educational goals of the Mission NIPUN Bharat programme.