Nabarangpur: The Nabarangpur district administration Tuesday launched ‘Aame Padhiba Aama Bhasare’, a mother tongue-based early education initiative, at the Block Conference Hall. Collector and District Magistrate Maheshwar Swain chaired the programme.
The initiative will be implemented in 30 anganwadi centres in Raighar block as a pilot project, focusing on foundational learning in Gondi, the mother tongue of a large tribal population in the district. The programme is being implemented with technical support from Piramal Foundation.
Addressing officials and community representatives, Swain said early education in Gondi would improve comprehension, participation and confidence among tribal children. He called for coordinated efforts to ensure effective implementation at the grassroots level.
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The district education officer said the initiative aligns with foundational literacy and numeracy goals and stressed convergence between schools and anganwadi centres. The principal of DIET highlighted the academic value of multilingual education and culturally relevant learning materials.
Training sessions during the orientation covered implementation strategies, community awareness planning and classroom activities using Arunima books. Officials including the district social welfare officer, child development project officers and block-level education authorities participated in the sessions along with anganwadi workers and selected sarpanches, parents and community volunteers.
The programme concluded with an implementation roadmap, including community mobilisation, mentoring support and periodic reviews to ensure quality delivery and sustained academic progress. The initiative aims to strengthen inclusive and culturally responsive education in the district by improving early learning outcomes through Gondi-based instruction.
