Press Release
Press Release from the Office of the Hon'ble Minister, Education Department
Information & Public Relations Department
STRENGTHENING FOUNDATIONAL NUMERACY TO BUILD A FUTURE-READY EDUCATION SYSTEM
Gangtok, 08.07.2026
Mr. Raju Basnet, Honourable Minister for Education, Sports & Youth Affairs and Law & Parliamentary Affairs Departments, Government of Sikkim, chaired a meeting with officials of the Education Department and representatives from Jodo Gyan, New Delhi.
The meeting was attended by Dr. Sandeep Tambe, IFS, Principal Secretary, Education Department; Mr. Tashi Chophel Lepcha, Secretary (School Education)-cum-State Project Director, Samagra Shiksha; Dr. Shanti Ram Adhikari, Director In-charge, SCERT; Mrs. Tshering Lhamu Bhutia, Additional Director, SCERT; Mr. Rajiv Philip, Deputy Director, SCERT; along with Mr. Shahji E. K. and Ms. Anuradha from Jodo Gyan.
The primary agenda of the meeting was to deliberate on embedding Foundational Numeracy into the Diploma in Elementary Education (D.El.Ed.) curriculum offered through the District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs). During the discussion, officials from SCERT and the Jodo Gyan team presented an overview of the implementation and progress of the Chief Minister Special Numeracy Programme (CM-SNP), highlighting its impact on classroom teaching and student learning outcomes across the State.
Implemented jointly by SCERT and Jodo Gyan Educational Services, the Chief Minister Special Numeracy Programme (CM-SNP) has introduced experiential and activity-based mathematics teaching in government primary schools, making classroom learning more interactive and learner-centric. Through extensive teacher capacity-building initiatives and classroom support, nearly 1,100 teachers were trained during the academic year 2025–26. The initiative has significantly enhanced foundational numeracy among young learners, while also promoting confidence, curiosity and a positive attitude towards mathematics.
The meeting also focused on integrating the Special Numeracy Pedagogical Framework into the D.El.Ed. curriculum with the objective of institutionalising these innovative teaching practices within pre-service teacher education. This initiative aims to equip future teachers with modern, child-centred instructional methods before they enter the teaching profession, thereby ensuring long-term sustainability of quality foundational education in Sikkim.
Addressing the meeting, the Honourable Minister underscored that strong foundational literacy and numeracy form the backbone of quality education and are essential for achieving improved learning outcomes. He stated that integrating proven pedagogical practices into teacher education would ensure that newly trained teachers are classroom-ready from the very beginning of their careers. He further appreciated the collaborative efforts of SCERT and Jodo Gyan in strengthening mathematics education across the State and encouraged all stakeholders to continue working towards creating an engaging, inclusive and competency-based learning environment for every child.
Gangtok, 08.07.2026
Mr. Raju Basnet, Honourable Minister for Education, Sports & Youth Affairs and Law & Parliamentary Affairs Departments, Government of Sikkim, chaired a meeting with officials of the Education Department and representatives from Jodo Gyan, New Delhi.
The meeting was attended by Dr. Sandeep Tambe, IFS, Principal Secretary, Education Department; Mr. Tashi Chophel Lepcha, Secretary (School Education)-cum-State Project Director, Samagra Shiksha; Dr. Shanti Ram Adhikari, Director In-charge, SCERT; Mrs. Tshering Lhamu Bhutia, Additional Director, SCERT; Mr. Rajiv Philip, Deputy Director, SCERT; along with Mr. Shahji E. K. and Ms. Anuradha from Jodo Gyan.
The primary agenda of the meeting was to deliberate on embedding Foundational Numeracy into the Diploma in Elementary Education (D.El.Ed.) curriculum offered through the District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs). During the discussion, officials from SCERT and the Jodo Gyan team presented an overview of the implementation and progress of the Chief Minister Special Numeracy Programme (CM-SNP), highlighting its impact on classroom teaching and student learning outcomes across the State.
Implemented jointly by SCERT and Jodo Gyan Educational Services, the Chief Minister Special Numeracy Programme (CM-SNP) has introduced experiential and activity-based mathematics teaching in government primary schools, making classroom learning more interactive and learner-centric. Through extensive teacher capacity-building initiatives and classroom support, nearly 1,100 teachers were trained during the academic year 2025–26. The initiative has significantly enhanced foundational numeracy among young learners, while also promoting confidence, curiosity and a positive attitude towards mathematics.
The meeting also focused on integrating the Special Numeracy Pedagogical Framework into the D.El.Ed. curriculum with the objective of institutionalising these innovative teaching practices within pre-service teacher education. This initiative aims to equip future teachers with modern, child-centred instructional methods before they enter the teaching profession, thereby ensuring long-term sustainability of quality foundational education in Sikkim.
Addressing the meeting, the Honourable Minister underscored that strong foundational literacy and numeracy form the backbone of quality education and are essential for achieving improved learning outcomes. He stated that integrating proven pedagogical practices into teacher education would ensure that newly trained teachers are classroom-ready from the very beginning of their careers. He further appreciated the collaborative efforts of SCERT and Jodo Gyan in strengthening mathematics education across the State and encouraged all stakeholders to continue working towards creating an engaging, inclusive and competency-based learning environment for every child.
