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Educational Transformation through Ennum Ezhuthum and Illam Thedi Kalvi in the Context of Contemporary Educational Issues
Subject area: Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities · Area of research: Education
Abstract
Persistent inequities in access, low foundational literacy and inadequate infrastructure continue to constrain education in India, particularly in rural areas, and the COVID-19 pandemic widened these gaps further. This paper analyses the contribution of two Tamil Nadu government initiatives, Ennum Ezhuthum and Illam Thedi Kalvi, to educational transformation in the state. Ennum Ezhuthum targets foundational literacy and numeracy among children in Classes 1 to 3, whereas Illam Thedi Kalvi brings community-supported, home-based learning to children in Classes 1 to 8. Drawing on government reports and published studies, the paper examines the design of both schemes, their reported effects on literacy, numeracy, dropout and teacher development, and the operational, socio-economic and evaluative challenges that constrain them. Comparisons with Read India, the Khanya Project and Learning for All are used to identify transferable lessons. The evidence suggests that both programmes have improved learning outcomes and community engagement, and recommendations are offered on resource allocation, data-driven monitoring, teacher development and scalability in relation to Sustainable Development Goal 4.
Keywords
Educational transformation, Ennum Ezhuthum, foundational literacy, Illam Thedi Kalvi, Tamil Nadu education policy
References
[1] Murthy R (2020). SDG 4 and educational equity in India. Sage Publications.
[2] Rao S, Iyer A (2021). Transforming literacy through grassroots initiatives: Case studies from Tamil Nadu. Oxford University Press.
[3] Sharma N, Menon L (2021). Community-led education reforms: Addressing learning gaps in rural India. Journal of Educational Policy and Reform, 17(2), 65–81.
[4] Srinivasan N (2022). Teacher empowerment in Indian educational reforms: A case study of Tamil Nadu’s literacy programmes. Orient BlackSwan.
[5] Tamil Nadu Department of School Education (2020). Ennum Ezhuthum policy framework. Tamil Nadu Government Press.
[6] Tamil Nadu Department of School Education (2021). Illam Thedi Kalvi implementation report. Tamil Nadu Government Press.
[7] United Nations (2015). Sustainable Development Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and quality education for all. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/education/
[8] World Bank (2021). Improving educational outcomes in South Asia: Case study on India. The World Bank, Washington, DC.
How to cite this paper
@article{1724996,
author = {Arunkumar R., Dr. C. Barathi},
title = {Educational Transformation through Ennum Ezhuthum and Illam Thedi Kalvi in the Context of Contemporary Educational Issues},
journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
year = {2026},
volume = {10},
number = {5},
pages = {2650-2656},
issn = {2456-8880},
url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1724996.pdf},
abstract = {Persistent inequities in access, low foundational literacy and inadequate infrastructure continue to constrain education in India, particularly in rural areas, and the COVID-19 pandemic widened these gaps further. This paper analyses the contribution of two Tamil Nadu government initiatives, Ennum Ezhuthum and Illam Thedi Kalvi, to educational transformation in the state. Ennum Ezhuthum targets foundational literacy and numeracy among children in Classes 1 to 3, whereas Illam Thedi Kalvi brings community-supported, home-based learning to children in Classes 1 to 8. Drawing on government reports and published studies, the paper examines the design of both schemes, their reported effects on literacy, numeracy, dropout and teacher development, and the operational, socio-economic and evaluative challenges that constrain them. Comparisons with Read India, the Khanya Project and Learning for All are used to identify transferable lessons. The evidence suggests that both programmes have improved learning outcomes and community engagement, and recommendations are offered on resource allocation, data-driven monitoring, teacher development and scalability in relation to Sustainable Development Goal 4.},
keywords = {Educational transformation, Ennum Ezhuthum, foundational literacy, Illam Thedi Kalvi, Tamil Nadu education policy},
month = {November},
}