Lucknow, November 20, 2024: DEVI Sansthan, India’s leading advocate for foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN), proudly announces the resounding success of the recently concluded MOOT (Massive Online Open Training), a national virtual training program aimed at addressing the global crisis in foundational learning. This groundbreaking initiative is part of DEVI Sansthan’s efforts to provide innovative, scalable solutions to meet India’s FLN goals under the NIPUN Bharat Mission. From humble beginnings in 20 schools two years ago, ALfA is now growing rapidly in UP and beyond, with MOUs for 17,000 schools across several states.

Held as a precursor to the much-anticipated ‘Leadership Circle’ event on November 28th and 29th in Lucknow, MOOT brought together 3,000+ educators from across the country, equipping them with ALfA’s (Accelerating Learning for All) revolutionary pedagogy. This methodology focuses on cognitive connections, peer-led work, and a transformative approach that enables accelerated learning.

Policymakers have noticed ALfA’s potential to play a major part in efforts to reach NIPUN goals by 2026/27. “ALfA can help a lot, according to Mamta Maurya, a teacher from UP while speaking at the MOOT training of trainer program. She shared “When we explain things to the children, it takes time for them to understand. But when they learn from each other, it is much easier”. “Using mascots like Tina and Toto as a medium of expression itself creates curiosity and makes learning easier”, another teacher Rubina Rizwan voiced her opinion on the key learnings from the seminar.

In Uttar Pradesh, ALfA has demonstrated its effectiveness by achieving FLN targets in just 45 days, a feat that sets a new benchmark for academic transformation. This impact was further validated through a poll conducted during MOOT, in which 85% of the 1,187 participants expressed their strong preference for adopting ALfA as the primary FLN program in their classrooms.

Dr. Sunita Gandhi, Founder of Dignity Education Vision International (DEVI) Sansthan shares, “Although some critics oppose accelerating the learning process and even doubt its feasibility, the true danger lies in prolonging the mastery of basic skills. In a slow learning environment, children who fall behind often remain stuck in a cycle of remediation. They spend years repeating the basics while their peers move on to more advanced concepts. ALfA breaks this cycle by accelerating foundational learning for all children in a joyful, collaborative environment. By working with peers, engaging in hands-on activities, and receiving continuous feedback, children quickly master the basics, freeing them to tackle higher-order thinking tasks earlier in their educational journey. The real risk isn’t learning too quickly—it’s not learning quickly enough. Beyond third-party testing, the government’s own exam results tell a remarkable story by this method. Shamli district, a low-performing district of India came up to Rank 18 of 75 districts of UP and scored 36% in the NIPUN Assessment Test by the government, well above the state average of 24%, while the Hilauli block achieved 47% NIPUN status compared with the combined all the blocks of Unnao averaged just 15%. These interventions took between 30 to 45 days and show what is possible through an out-of-the-box pedagogy.”

The success of MOOT sets the stage for the ‘Leadership Circle’ where top policymakers and education leaders will convene to discuss strategies for accelerating FLN development. This event will also showcase ALfA’s success stories and provide a platform for collaboration and knowledge sharing.

“One of the most powerful aspects of ALfA is that it creates a joyful learning environment where children look forward to school each day. They learn through games, challenges, and real-world scenarios that make learning both meaningful and enjoyable. By fostering this excitement about education, ALfA sets the stage for a lifelong love of learning,” Dr. Sunita Gandhi, Founder of Dignity Education Vision International (DEVI) Sansthan further adds.

With over 3,000 educators already trained and eager to implement ALfA, DEVI Sansthan invites states and UTs to join the movement, to Beat the NIPUN Deadline. By partnering with DEVI Sansthan, education systems can ensure that every child has access to foundational literacy and numeracy, setting the foundation for lifelong learning and success.