𝘒𝘢𝘭𝘷𝘪 𝘒𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 2025 – 𝘈 𝘚𝘺𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘶𝘮 𝘰𝘯 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘌𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘊𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘯𝘢𝘪
Chennai, June 27, 2025: Kalvi Kural 2025, Madhi Foundation’s annual symposium dedicated to reimagining and strengthening primary education in Tamil Nadu, was inaugurated by Dr. B. Chandra Mohan, IAS, Principal Secretary, School Education Department, Tamil Nadu, on June 27 at Residency Towers, T. Nagar, Chennai.
This year’s edition, spanning two days, is being hosted in collaboration with the Madras Institute of Development Studies (MIDS) and the Centre for Effective Governance of Indian States (CEGIS) as technical partners.
“Tamil Nadu has always believed that education is the one true power that can transcend societal barriers. When every child has access to quality education, it not only transforms their life but also the lives of generations to come. This belief has guided the State to ensure that schools are not just physically accessible—often within a kilometre—but also that education becomes the cornerstone of transformation for the child, the family, the State, and the world. Our flagship initiative, Ennum Ezhuthum (EE), is anchored in foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN), aiming to transform, remediate, and improve early learning outcomes. Through the large-scale SLAS assessment, we gained critical insights into classroom strengths and challenges, and the data clearly showed that EE is working,” said Dr. B. Chandra Mohan, IAS, Principal Secretary, School Education Department, Tamil Nadu.
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He further added, “We’ve now launched THIRAN Iyakkam, a targeted effort for Classes 6 to 9 to improve learning outcomes. These insights are continuously feeding into our policy design, helping us keep a real-time pulse on the state of education.”
“We’ve also launched a large-scale career guidance programme to ensure that every Class 10 and 12 student can make informed choices based on their aptitude, preferences, and skills. With the highest Gross Enrollment Ratio in the country, Tamil Nadu is on the path to achieving milestones once thought unimaginable,” Dr. B. Chandra Mohan, IAS, said.
“Kalvi Kural is founded on a simple but powerful belief: that if we want meaningful, lasting change and reform, we must start by listening — listening not just to the familiar voices of policy, but to the lived experiences of every stakeholder — teachers, parents, children, administrators — whose realities and stories matter the most. When these voices are heard and honoured, real transformation becomes possible. Why do we focus on primary education at Madhi? Because that is where it all begins. For millions of children in India, primary school is not just the first experience of formal learning; it is sometimes the only one. The foundational years are when learning gaps emerge, but also when they can most powerfully be bridged. It is in these years that a child builds confidence, identity, and hope. If we fail them here, we risk failing them for life,” said Merlia Shaukath, CEO, Madhi Foundation.
“Primary education is the foundation, not just for the individual, but for the entire nation. As a country, while there has been considerable focus on primary education in recent years, we still have a long way to go. To make progress on this enormous challenge, it is important for the entire community—government officials, academia, parents, non-profit organisations, and the private sector—to come together and work as one team with a shared vision to improve primary education. Kalvi Kural provides a platform for these diverse voices to come together, share ideas, network, and form partnerships. I’m sure this will go a long way in improving primary education, and CEGIS is glad to play a part in supporting this event,” said Ramnath Sankaran, Lead – Education Sector, CEGIS.
Kalvi Kural is a two-day event featuring over 35 speakers from across the country. The symposium includes parallel sessions, panel discussions, masterclasses, and case panels.
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