At the Mega Parent-Teacher Meeting (PTM) on 26 September 2026, Ghaziabad formally introduced Holistic Progress Cards (HPC) across 446 schools, among the first districts in Uttar Pradesh to bring the HPC into PTM discussions. Sh. Kumar Saurabh, Chief Development Officer, visited C.S. Madhuban Bapudham and spoke with students, parents and teachers about the HPC. Sh. O.P. Yadav, Basic Shiksha Adhikari, explained the HPC to parents himself and encouraged them to take a bigger part in their children's learning journeys. On PTM day, average student attendance was 70.7% and average parent attendance reached 53.3%, a clear rise in parent participation compared to earlier PTMs. Close to 91% of parents responded "positively" or "very positively" to the HPC. The real test of the HPC is not whether a card was printed, but whether a parent understood it and found a way to support their child's learning. The next milestone is the March cycle, when completed HPCs go home to parents, and our focus is on keeping the momentum alive and supporting schools and teachers on the last mile. #HolisticProgressCards #Education #FLN #UttarPradesh #CentralSquareFoundation @basicshiksha_up @ChiefGhaziabad

At the IBSA Symposium in Cape Town on 21 October, @Ghattamaneni represented Central Square Foundation (CSF) on a panel on partnerships, sharing a message on what effective collaboration takes. The fundamental question was looking at how partnerships can translate into coherent support for teachers and ensuring better learning outcomes for children. The message was clear: “A shared framework does not mean every partner must work in the same way. It means different contributions fit together around a common direction. Teachers should experience support that makes sense as a whole. Children should experience the progress it is meant to create.” Joining speakers from the @gatesfoundation ,Centro Lemann and the Bana Pele Orchestration Team, Suresh highlighted a fundamental principle of systems change: partnerships work best when diverse efforts align towards a shared vision. The real test of collaboration is not how many organisations are in the room, but whether a teacher in the classroom experiences a coherent system of support. Under the theme “Strong Foundations, Shared Futures”, the symposium brought India, Brazil and South Africa together around efforts towards a proposed IBSA Network on Quality Foundational Learning. #IBSA #FoundationalLearning #EducationSystems #CentralSquareFoundation

CSF is committed to #FLN for every child in India. As the #IBSA countries work to strengthen cooperation on quality foundational learning, we continue to work alongside state governments to support #FLN on the ground. #FoundationHaiSahi

AI Samarth, our AI literacy initiative, is now part of a course for around 80,000 government school teachers in Andhra Pradesh. The School Education Department has directed teachers of Classes VI to VIII to complete the AI Foundations and Literacy course by the end of October, as covered by @timesofindia ( Vidya Dusi). The course pairs AI Samarth with Bodhan AI resources on lesson planning, differentiated learning materials, diagnostic assessment and student support. What stands out to us is that completion means finishing the modules and the assessment, not just enrolling. Teachers also get live hands-on sessions to try AI tools for planning and assessment. Read the full article here: tinyurl.com/AISamarthCSF #AISamarth #AIinEducation #Edtech #CentralSquareFoundation @Bodhan_AI @WSAI_IITM

23,746 students. 810 schools. A focused effort to strengthen foundational learning. In Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, the Catch-Up Karao, NIPUN Banao Abhiyaan is bringing targeted practice into classrooms to help students in Grades 1 and 2 address learning gaps and prepare for the upcoming NIPUN Vidyalaya Aaklan (NVA). Launched by District Magistrate Shri Anupam Shukla on 27 September 2026, the month-long initiative follows baseline assessments of over 20,000 students and covers 23,746 students across 810 ARP-adopted schools. We are proud to support this district-wide effort in collaboration with the district administration and education teams. As part of this effort, Central Square Foundation has helped develop weekly Hindi and Mathematics practice worksheets, contextualised for Ghazipur. Teachers facilitate one hour of daily practice in each subject, helping students strengthen their #FLN skills. Together, these efforts demonstrate how strong administrative ownership, contextualised academic support and teacher initiative can help more children build a strong foundation for learning. #FoundationalLearning #NIPUNBharat #Education #UttarPradesh #CentralSquareFoundation @basicshiksha_up @AdminGhazipur @CdoGhazipu83796

#NewBlog | How can a classroom-level learning gap shape state-wide education priorities? In this blog, The Best Policy Conversations Begin in Classrooms, Kritagya Kriti explores how CSF’s work with the district administration in Basti, Uttar Pradesh, brought student learning evidence into conversations on academic support and education policy. When an end-of-year assessment found that 60% of Grade 2 students in Basti had scored zero in Independent Writing, the finding prompted a deeper conversation about unfinished learning and how children could catch up before the gap widened. Weeks later, Uttar Pradesh issued directions on Catch-up Shikshan, outlining measures to help children revisit foundational competencies and strengthen their learning. The blog reflects on how classroom observations, assessment data and conversations with education officials can inform wider policy discussions, while recognising that statewide decisions involve many people and sources of evidence. 📖 Read the blog here: lnkd.in/p/gMUM_m_R If you work in education, governance or foundational learning, this is a story worth reading. @Basti_Bsa #EducationPolicy #FoundationalLearning #UttarPradesh

Central Square Foundation was at the @mEducation_A Symposium last week! The symposium brings together education leaders, researchers, policymakers, donors, and more to showcase impactful innovations, exchange knowledge, and catalyze new partnerships. On the day, Abhimanyu from the EdTech & AI team at Central Square Foundation was a part of two exciting sessions: 'AI & Emerging Technologies in Education' and 'Digital Literacy, EdTech & Evaluation'. Here's a few reflections from us👉🏼 ⚖️Moving from proven solutions to scale: Scaling EdTech is not just about reaching more learners, it is about translating learning gains into sustained impact through effective delivery models, implementation capacity and government partnerships. 🏗️Individual solutions to ecosystem-level change: Unlocking EdTech and AI’s potential requires more than funding promising innovations. It means backing an ecosystem, enabling innovators to develop high-quality solutions, working with governments to drive adoption, using evidence to guide scale, and addressing gaps that markets alone may not solve. 🧾Evidence of impact to evidence for action: Understanding what works, for whom and under what conditions is critical but evidence creates the greatest value when it informs real-world decisions on funding, adoption and implementation. What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments below! @SecretaryMEITY #EdTech #Education #ScalingEdTech #AIinEducation #AIforLearning #EdTechStandards #ResponsibleAI #TechForLearning #DigitalLearning #AIForIndia #CentralSquareFoundation

From learning the alphabet to confidently reading books, foundational learning can transform how children see themselves and their potential. Rachna Rani, Head Teacher at a Government Primary School in Kurukshetra, Haryana, shares how NIPUN Haryana has changed the way children learn and teachers teach. Through print-rich classrooms, engaging activities, supportive teachers and stronger parent participation, the school is nurturing confident learners who are eager to explore, express themselves and take on new opportunities. ✨ Read how everyday changes in the classroom are helping children build a stronger foundation for learning and a more confident future. 🔗 Read the full story here: tinyurl.com/Rachna-Rani-Stor… #VoicesFromTheGround #NIPUNHaryana #FoundationalLearning #FLN #Education

What if the key to strengthening academic support isn’t creating something new, but reimagining what already exists? 💡 In Jehanabad, Bihar, an existing platform for head teachers, Guru Goshthi, was transformed from an administrative meeting into a space for academic learning, peer exchange and school-level support. By building a network of 40 Resource Persons and strengthening the structure of these meetings, the district created a more distributed model of academic support across 887 government schools. A powerful lesson in system strengthening: repurpose, don’t reinvent and build leadership from within the system, as shared by CSF's Shweta Chaubey and Suman Bharti. Read more: tinyurl.com/Guru-Goshthi-Bih… . . #FoundationalLearning #NIPUNBharat #Education #SystemStrengthening #Bihar

Remembering the values that shape a better tomorrow. 🇮🇳 On Gandhi Jayanti, we reflect on the enduring values of truth, simplicity and collective action. Education has a vital role to play in building a society where every child has the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive. As we work towards a stronger India, let us continue to nurture young minds and build the foundations for a better tomorrow. Wishing everyone a meaningful Gandhi Jayanti. #GandhiJayanti #Education #MahatmaGandhi #BuildingABetterTomorrow

India’s progress on foundational learning holds important lessons for education systems around the world. 🌍 Through our 'NIPUN Bharat Mission: Best Practices Compendium', we have sought to document how states across India are translating the Mission’s ambition into action and the practices, systems and reforms enabling progress at scale. Encouraging to see these lessons reaching a wider global policy audience and contributing to the conversation on what it takes to ensure every child builds strong foundations in literacy and numeracy. 💫 #FoundationalLearning #NIPUNBharat #GlobalEducation #EducationPolicy #LearningOutcomes

As the #UNGA81 draws to a close, we reflect on the packed week of conversations on foundational learning, philanthropy, AI and what it takes to strengthen public systems at scale. 🌍 Across the week, our CEO Ishmeet Singh joined several discussions, including the Foundational Learning Collaborative-convened closed-door roundtable on 'The Workforce of 2040 Is in Grade 2 Today' and Reliance Foundation’s 'Scaling Development Innovation for Global Impact'. 📍 A few themes came through strongly: 👉 Foundational learning is increasingly being recognised as an economic priority. The conversation is moving beyond education outcomes alone to workforce readiness, productivity and long-term growth. 👉 Philanthropy has a bigger role to play in supporting system change. Discussions around match funding, risk-sharing and longer funding cycles pointed to the need for more patient capital and deeper alignment with governments. 👉 The middle tier remains critical. District, block and other system actors are often where policy gets translated into practice, making this layer central to sustaining reform. 👉 AI is moving from promise to application in education. Real-time assessments, teacher support and personalised learning are opening up new possibilities, while questions around inclusion, motivation and the future role of schools remain equally important. 👉 Collaboration matters most when it leads to coordinated action. Governments, philanthropy, multilaterals, civil society and technology partners all have a role to play in taking evidence-backed solutions to scale. We leave #UNGA81 with stronger partnerships, sharper questions and a clearer focus on what it will take to move from evidence to adoption at scale. #UNGA81 #FoundationalLearning #Education #AIinEducation #Philanthropy #SystemChange #CentralSquareFoundation

⏳ 6 days to go to submit your idea for the AI for Foundational Learning Hackathon. Do you have an idea that could use AI to solve a persistent challenge in foundational learning? This is your chance to put it forward and take it to the next stage. The Top 30 teams will advance to the Build Stage, with access to Claude credits and expert mentorship to develop their ideas into working solutions. The Top 10 teams will then present their solutions at the Grand Finale before a distinguished jury from across education, technology and entrepreneurship. 🙌 Meet the jury for the AI for Foundational Learning Hackathon. 🗓️ Deadline: 27 September 2026, 11:59 PM IST ShikshaNext is anchored by the @DellFdn, @ril_foundation and @gatesfoundation as Founding Strategic Partners, @CSF_India as Managing Partner and @AnthropicAI as Supporting Partner. . . #EdTech #Mentors #AI #Hackathon #IndiaBuilds #AIInnovation #IndiaInnovationStory #BuildingSolutions #ApplyNow #FoundationalLearning #SabkaEdTech #BuildForIndia #Hack2skill #Anthropic

At the United Nations General Assembly 81 this week, Central Square Foundation will join conversations on foundational learning, human capital, and the role of strong public systems in expanding opportunity at scale. On 22 September (5:30–6:45 PM EDT), our CEO Ishmeet Singh will speak at a closed-door roundtable on “The Workforce of 2040 Is in Grade 2 Today" convened by the Foundational Learning Collaborative in partnership with the Gates Foundation and Central Square Foundation as an organising partner. The discussion will explore why foundational learning is critical to workforce readiness and economic growth and how governments, philanthropy and businesses can help finance and sustain reform at scale. On 24 September (11:40 AM–12:30 PM EDT), Ishmeet will be speaking at "Women, Children and Youth: Building Healthier Futures for the Next Billion", a session convened by Reliance Foundation. The panel will bring together Ishmeet Singh, along with Archna Vyas, Carla Haddad Mardini, Mandeep Dhaliwal, and Masood A., moderated by Vanita Sharma, to discuss how stronger public systems, community-led delivery, technology, and cross-sector partnerships can improve outcomes for women, children, and young people across the Global South. We look forward to exchanging ideas, learning from others, and advancing these conversations at #UNGA81. #unga81 #FoundationalLearning #FLN #HumanCapital #GlobalDevelopment #CentralSquareFoundation