Srinagar: SCERT Kashmir successfully conducted a two-day programme aimed at strengthening Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) and Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE).

The initiative included a one-day orientation programme for Cluster Heads and Heads of Institutions on December 22, followed by the valedictory session of a large-scale Capacity Building Programme (CBP) for 3,000 AAYAs (ECCE Helpers) on December 23 at SCERT Kashmir, Srinagar.

The programmes were organised in collaboration with the Jammu and Kashmir Association of Social Workers, with technical and financial support from UNICEF.

Around 100 Cluster Heads, District Nodal Officers, Master Resource Persons, DIET faculty members and senior SCERT officials participated in the programme. The focus was on leadership alignment, role clarity of AAYAs and strengthening governance at the foundational stage.

Joint Director SCERT Kashmir, Syed Shabir Ahmad, underscored the critical role of AAYAs in early learning and described innovation at the foundational level as vital. Senior officials lauded the CBP as a model government–NGO partnership, showcasing best practices and learning gains across all ten districts.

Sheikh Gulzar Ahmad, Senior Academic Officer at SCERT Kashmir, said that training over 3,000 AAYAs is expected to significantly enhance classroom practices and learning outcomes in government schools, marking a renewed push for ECCE and FLN reforms in the region.