Nine-year-old Sumit is the oldest student in his Grade 3 class. Struggling to grasp simple concepts, he often felt lost, as though the lessons were pieces of an unsolvable puzzle. But in recent months, a remarkable change has taken place. His teacher, Chander Singh, has introduced innovative methods that make learning engaging and accessible, reigniting Sumit’s curiosity. Today, he eagerly attends school, dreaming of becoming a doctor. Sumit’s story may echo the challenges faced by countless children across India, but his journey is unique—he lives with Down syndrome, which compounds the barriers to his learning. Yet, he says with a smile, “I come to school every day because my teacher believes in me. His love and encouragement make me feel like I can do anything.” 

Sumit’s transformation highlights the extraordinary impact of dedicated teachers like Chander, whose belief in their students can reshape lives. Now imagine the scale of change if this belief extended beyond classrooms to those in positions of power — politicians, bureaucrats, and philanthropists.

Quality school education, especially the universal acquisition of strong foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) skills is a  key aspect of India’s economic growth story. By 2047, India will contribute a billion workers to the global economy, giving it a unique opportunity to shape global economic trends. However, this promise hinges on the 26 crore children currently in Indian school, half of whom cannot read a simple sentence by age 10.

In light of this challenge, the new National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and NIPUN Bharat Mission, which prioritise FLN, offer a transformative path forward. But to truly unlock the potential of these initiatives, there is a need for sustained and concerted efforts by political leaders, administrators and civil society organisations (CSOs) to ensure that all our children are able to acquire the necessary skills to build a brighter future for themselves and the nation. 

Political Will: The Engine of Reform

Political will, as defined by Lori Ann Post and colleagues, refers to “the extent of committed support among key decision-makers for a particular policy solution”. In India, political will has traditionally focused on expanding school infrastructure rather than improving learning outcomes. While building schools and increasing enrollment are important, they have not fully addressed the deep-rooted learning crisis affecting millions of students. To effectively tackle this issue, political will must shift toward the sustained prioritisation of learning outcomes, recognising that meaningful improvements in education will require time but are essential for India’s long-term development.

Global examples illustrate the transformative impact of political will in driving improvements for learning outcomes. In Ecuador, President Rafael Correa demonstrated a deep personal commitment to education by leveraging the country’s poor learning assessment results to rally public support and forge a coalition of decision-makers. This sustained prioritisation of learning sparked meaningful reforms, resulting in the country recording the largest learning gains in the entire Latin American region. Similarly, Vietnam harnessed the structural strength of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) to establish an accountability system that complemented the bureaucratic framework. These parallel mechanisms reinforced each other, creating a robust and unified focus on educational goals. As a result, as per the World Bank Learning Poverty Report, only 16% of children in Vietnam face learning poverty, compared to 56% in India, showcasing the profound potential of political prioritisation of learning.

India’s NIPUN Bharat Mission reflects these strategies by making FLN a national priority by putting  grade-wise targets, dedicated funding and strong monitoring frameworks in place. However, this is only the beginning. To ensure the Mission’s success, it is essential that political leaders across party lines consistently prioritise learning outcomes and demonstrate a unified commitment to improving education for all over the long term.

Bureaucratic Action: The Change Maker

While political will sets the priority, bureaucratic action  drives effective implementation, creating a sustained impact on ground. Translating policy into action depends on clear goals, capacity building and rigorous monitoring – which means knowing where to go, how to reach there and knowing when we will reach the destination.

Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh exemplify the power of bureaucratic will in translating vision into impact. Madhya Pradesh launched its FLN mission, Mission Ankur, in 2022 with a clear vision of helping students develop a strong foundation in reading, writing and math so they can succeed in school, work, and life. This clarity drove swift action, with master trainers in Bhopal training over one lakh teachers. Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh’s focus on making every school NIPUN fostered innovation through the NIPUN Lakshya application which was launched in September 2022, enabling real time monitoring of teacher practices and student performance. This data-driven approach created a robust foundation for continuous improvement. The results speak volumes—Madhya Pradesh has doubled the percentage of Grade 2 children who can read words, while 68% of students in Uttar Pradesh have been declared NIPUN.

CSOs: The Catalysts of Convergence

Situated at the intersection of Samaaj (society) and Sarkar (government), civil society organisations (CSOs) wield a unique advantage in driving education reform. Their close ties to communities offer invaluable insights into what works on the ground, while their partnerships with the government provide pathways to scale these solutions for broader impact. It is this convergence of grassroots perspective and institutional collaboration that positions CSOs as essential catalysts for creating and sustaining both political and bureaucratic will.

First, CSOs have helped elevate the debate from the politics of schooling to the politics of learning. They have used data to drive public and political discourse towards long-term learning reforms. Globally, Germany’s poor PISA results spurred public outcry and curriculum reform. In India, third-party assessments like the ASER survey, have highlighted learning gaps, making outcomes a key focus area. 

Second, nonprofits can catalyse bureaucratic action by bridging capacity gaps, piloting scalable models and supporting governments in streamlining implementation. Their ability to demonstrate proof of concept ensures that bureaucracies adopt effective practices with greater confidence.

Lastly, CSOs have the ability to build community demand by amplifying the need for good quality school education. They can use the tools of public campaigns, media outreach, and community events to shift parental priorities from enrollment to learning outcomes. When communities advocate for better education, political and bureaucratic accountability converge, creating a virtuous cycle of improvement.

Education reform is like steering a large ship: political will charts the course, bureaucratic action provides the propulsion and CSOs act as the rudder, ensuring alignment and direction. For India, where over half of its future workforce struggles with foundational skills, this alignment is not just an option—it is an imperative.

Political leadership must prioritise long-term learning outcomes over short-term infrastructure gains, while bureaucratic action must translate this vision into measurable progress in classrooms. CSOs play a crucial role in driving public discourse, bridging implementation gaps and building community demand for quality education. By aligning these efforts, India can address its learning crisis, unlock its demographic potential and pave the way for sustained economic growth. Chander’s belief might have just changed the course of Sumit’s life, but the belief and will of politicians, bureaucrats, and CSOs, can change the course of the country.