The students enrolled in teacher education programmes recognised by the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) will be mandatorily required to teach five to eight non-literate adults and help them obtain literacy certification under the Centre’s ULLAS scheme (Understanding of Lifelong Learning for All in Society)- Nav Bharat Saksharta Karyakram or New India Literacy Programme (NILP) scheme, with their academic credits linked to the successful certification of the learners, according to new guidelines released by the Union education ministry.
However, the guidelines do not specify an academic batch, year of admission or date of commencement for implementation. The ‘Guidelines for Teacher Education Institutions (TEIs) under ULLAS – Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram,’ launched by minister of state for education Jayant Chaudhary on October 28, make participation in the adult literacy programme mandatory for student teachers enrolled in NCTE-recognised courses, including Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.), Bachelor of Physical Education (B.P.Ed.), Masters of Education (M.Ed.), Masters of Physical Education (M.P.Ed.), Diploma in Elementary Education (D.El.Ed.) and the Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP).
Acknowledging ULLAS’s role in promoting adult literacy and restoring learners’ dignity and confidence, Chaudhary said the “new guidelines would enable student teachers to play a vital role in empowering the nation.
The programme combines volunteer-led face-to-face teaching with digital learning materials available through its mobile application and community learning centres. Learners study foundational literacy and numeracy, along with critical life skills, vocational skills, basic education and continuing education, before appearing for the Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Assessment Test (FLNAT). Those who clear FLNAT receive literacy certification from the National Institute of Open Schooling.
The guidelines make it clear that participation in ULLAS alone will not qualify student teachers for academic credits. FLNAT is conducted twice a year. Under the programme, student teachers will register themselves as volunteer teachers on the ULLAS mobile application with the help of teacher educators. They will be responsible for identifying and registering learners, planning teaching schedules, preparing lessons and conducting regular assessments to monitor their progress. Student teachers will have to help learners build confidence to appear in the FLNAT and ensure their participation in the assessment. They will also document their teaching experience through learner profiles, assessment records, progress reports and geo-tagged photographs of their interactions with learners.
“Credits or equivalent grades/marks shall be awarded to student-teachers (VTs) only after the learners assigned to them successfully appear in FLNAT and are certified as Literate under ULLAS,” they state.
