Chennai, 17th July 2026: The Tamil Nadu State Report of the Teaching Learning Practices Survey (TLPS) 2025, a study aimed at strengthening teaching and learning practices in basic literacy and numeracy, was launched in Chennai on July 17. The survey was anchored by the Language and Learning Foundation, supported by Tata Trusts, and implemented in Tamil Nadu by Madhi Foundation and Educational Initiatives (Ei). TLPS 2025 Tamil Nadu report provides state-specific evidence on teaching-learning practices in Grades 1 and 2 classrooms.
Delivering the Opening Policy Keynote Address, Dr P. A. Naresh, Director, Directorate of Elementary Education, Government of Tamil Nadu, highlighted the importance of using evidence from classrooms to strengthen foundational learning outcomes.
“Tamil Nadu is no stranger to large-scale assessments, but TLPS is distinctive because it takes us closer to everyday classroom practice. With 35,000 schools, 27 lakh students and many multigrade classrooms, we cannot take children’s learning experiences for granted. Our access and retention indicators are strong, yet there is scope in learning outcomes, teacher vacancies and individual student engagement. Teachers are central to change, and we must also support them with adequate staffing, time and resources. TLPS gives us evidence to ask better questions and strengthen classrooms so every child can fully realise their potential,” said Dr. Naresh.
Amrita Patwardhan, Head of Education and Deputy Head of Programmes, Tata Trusts, observed, ‘’Tamil Nadu’s Ennum Ezhuthum Mission reflects a sustained commitment to getting foundational learning right. Midline assessments already show 8 to 15 percentage point gains in Basic Literacy and Numeracy skills across the state. The TLPS report is particularly valuable because it takes us inside the classroom to show how children are participating, how they engage with teaching-learning materials, and how understanding is built. This matters especially in a state where over 85% of primary classrooms function in multigrade settings. For philanthropy, this kind of evidence is as important as the intervention itself. It helps move the conversation beyond what is delivered to what is actually working, enabling governments and partners to continuously strengthen programmes and improve learning outcomes at scale.”
The findings reflect encouraging progress across several aspects of classroom practice. Almost all observed teachers reported planning lessons in advance and maintained documented lesson plans, while classrooms widely used print-rich learning environments and structured teaching-learning materials to support learning. The survey found strong teacher preparedness, with 94% of teachers aware of foundational literacy and numeracy goals, nearly 98% having participated in recent in-person BLN training. The report also offers practical recommendations to strengthen classroom teaching practices and support systems that enable sustained improvements in foundational learning.
Commenting on the significance of the report, Dr Dhir Jhingran, Executive Director & Founder, Language and Learning Foundation, said, “Sustained improvements in foundational learning depend on the quality of teaching-learning processes experienced by every child, every day. Tamil Nadu has created a strong foundation through the Ennum Ezhuthum Mission, and the TLPS findings provide a shared evidence base for taking this work further. The task now is to support teachers, mentors, and academic leaders in making participatory, responsive, and inclusive classroom practices consistent across schools. There is no substitute for good teaching in every classroom.”
The formal launch was followed by a presentation on the TLPS methodology, report findings and implications for classroom practice by Ajitha Bharathi A. V., Head, Tamil Nadu State Initiatives, Madhi Foundation.
Speaking at the launch, Merlia Shaukath, Founder, Madhi Foundation, said the report offered valuable insights into the everyday realities of classrooms and the learning experiences of children.
“The TLPS report brings us closer to the everyday reality of the classroom and to what children experience each day. Tamil Nadu has built a strong foundation through Ennum Ezhuthum, teacher training and structured learning materials, and these efforts have created an important base to build on. The report invites us to look deeper. Are children getting enough space to think, speak, question, read independently and explain their reasoning? Are teachers able to respond to different learning levels within the same classroom? The answers to these questions will shape the next phase of foundational learning. For us at Madhi Foundation, this report is a useful mirror. It shows what is working, where the gaps are, and where the system can now focus with greater clarity,” said Merlia Shaukath.
Dr. Shailaja Menon, Educational Consultant, Tata Trusts, delivered the Distinguished Expert Keynote Address. She spoke about the importance of understanding children’s everyday learning experiences and supporting teachers with effective, inclusive and evidence-based classroom practices.
“The Teaching Learning Practices Survey 2025 shifts the focus from asking why children are not learning to examining the classroom practices that shape learning. While Tamil Nadu performs above the national average in areas such as print-rich classrooms, lesson planning, and teacher support, the findings also identify opportunities for improvement. Literacy instruction needs to move beyond tracing, copying, and isolated skills to meaningful reading, writing, discussion, and expression. Strengthening teachers’ pedagogical knowledge, expanding our understanding of early literacy, and fostering a love for reading and writing are essential to achieving strong foundational learning,” said Dr. Menon.
The launch also featured a panel discussion titled “Strengthening Classroom Practices through the Teaching Learning Practices Survey,” moderated by Rebecca Swittens, Head of Projects, FLIP National, Madhi Foundation. The panel brought together Dr V. Kumar, Joint Director, Samagra Shiksha, Tamil Nadu; Akhila Pydah, Advisor, Research and Pedagogical Practice, Language and Learning Foundation; Ramnath, Assistant Vice President, Centre for Effective Governance of Indian States; R. Soundar Rajan and C. Narasimhan, District Educational Officers, Elementary Education, Krishnagiri district; and M. Jeya, Block Education Officer, Paramakudi Block, Ramanathapuram district.
Bringing together perspectives from government, education practice, research and governance, the discussion examined how the survey findings could inform Tamil Nadu’s foundational learning programmes by strengthening classroom practices and teacher support systems. The session also reinforced the importance of evidence and sustained collaboration in ensuring that every child develops strong foundational literacy and numeracy skills.
About TLPS
The Teaching Learning Practices Survey (TLPS) 2025 provides systematic, national-level evidence on teaching practices for language and mathematics in Grades 1 and 2. The Survey was conducted between November 2024 and March 2025 in nine states – Assam, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh – covering 21 districts and 1,050 classrooms. By capturing a wide range of contexts, TLPS provides a rich national-level snapshot of the current teaching and learning practices for foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN).
Anchored by Language and Learning Foundation (LLF) and supported by Tata Trusts, the study has been implemented in collaboration with a consortium of organisations – Centre for microFinance, Educational Initiatives, Madhi Foundation, QUEST, and Vikramshila Education Resource Society – that share a deep interest and commitment to working with the government education system to improve foundational learning at scale.
About Language and Learning Foundation
Founded in 2015, Language and Learning Foundation (LLF) is an education non-profit dedicated to improving foundational literacy and numeracy outcomes of students in primary grades at scale, in collaboration with the national and state governments in India. LLF is a system-focused and impact-driven organisation that takes a three-pronged approach for equitable foundational learning improvements through Continuous Professional Development of teachers and mentors, District Demonstration Programmes and System Strengthening on FLN with a focus on inclusivity and equity. Since its inception, LLF has worked in 10 states, reaching 2.18 crore children and 11.8 lakh teachers and educators through State Level Technical Support and improved learning outcomes of 14 lakh children through District Demonstration Programmes and teaching-learning practices of 2,50,000 teachers and teacher educators.
About Madhi Foundation
Madhi Foundation is a leading education nonprofit working to transform India’s public education system working particularly in primary education and foundational learning. Founded in 2016, Madhi partners with state governments across Tamil Nadu, Meghalaya, Nagaland, and Andhra Pradesh to deliver evidence-based, system-wide education reforms. With a team of over 200 professionals and community workers, Madhi brings deep expertise in foundational learning, teacher development, community engagement, and education technology. Through flagship initiatives such as Ennum Ezhuthum, District Accelerator for Early Learning etc., Madhi contributes proven implementation models, technical expertise, data-driven decision-making, and scalable solutions to improve foundational learning outcomes for children at scale.
