The British Asian Trust, a charitable organization established by King Charles III, is at the forefront of an educational initiative targeting the education of up to four million children in India over a period of five years. The initiative, named LiftEd (Learning and Innovation in Foundational Literacy and Numeracy to Transform Education), seeks to bolster India’s education system and was officially launched on the International Day of Education last week.
LiftEd, focusing on students in public schools from grades 1-3, has gathered a diverse group of education experts to enhance Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) in India. The initiative has secured up to USD 20 million (INR 166 crore) in funding from a consortium of 26 partners, including prominent organizations such as Atlassian Foundation, Bridges Outcomes Partnerships, Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, Reliance Foundation, Standard Chartered Bank, UBS Optimus Foundation, and USAID. The initiative aligns with the Indian government’s recognition of FLN as an essential prerequisite for learning, prompting the launch of the NIPUN Bharat Mission in 2021 to impart FLN skills to every child aged 4-10 by 2026-27.
“We have leveraged insights from our past achievements in the Indian education sector, acknowledging the importance of aligning with the goals of the Government of India, adopting a systems-change strategy, and harnessing the potential of technology from the outset,” commented Bharath Visweswariah, Executive Director India, British Asian Trust. Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) entails the ability to read and comprehend basic text and solve fundamental mathematical problems by the conclusion of the third grade. The British Asian Trust stated that LiftEd aims to fortify these essential learning ‘building blocks’ through a dual approach involving on-ground and at-home interventions.
The statement further notes that LiftEd’s on-ground education partners are collaborating with state governments and school facilitators in five regions—Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi NCR, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar—to provide training and enhance their capacity to elevate Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) levels. Simultaneously, LiftEd has initiated an EdTech Accelerator aimed at developing digital solutions to enhance FLN for low-income students in India. Founded in 2007 by King Charles III when he was the Prince of Wales, along with a group of British Asian business leaders, the British Asian Trust addresses widespread poverty, inequality, and injustice in South Asia.
