Chitradurga District Emerges as Top Performer in Karnataka's Ganitha Ganaka Initiative
Chitradurga district has secured the top position in Karnataka for implementing the Ganitha Ganaka program this year. The district launched the initiative with full momentum after training teachers in early November. This early start gave Chitradurga a significant advantage over several other districts in the state.
Massive Participation and Structured Support
Over 2,400 teachers from 1,586 schools across 151 clusters participated in the first cycle of the program. These dedicated educators reached approximately 9,000 students throughout the district. Each student received four structured tutoring calls during a six-week period. The program also included sensitization and assessment calls to monitor progress effectively.
Chitradurga holds the distinction of being the only district to commence the second cycle of Ganitha Ganaka in the current academic year. This proactive approach demonstrates the district's strong commitment to educational advancement.
Inspiring Stories from the Ground
S Akash, the zilla panchayat CEO of Chitradurga, shared several heartwarming examples from the program's implementation. He highlighted the case of headmaster Ranganath H from GLPS Chigatanahalli School in Challakere block. This educator coordinated efforts to arrange a mobile phone for a student who previously had no means of communication.
Another teacher reported that a typically quiet child in the classroom opened up during the tutoring calls. The student responded positively to the phone-based support, showing increased engagement. Some teachers even progressed to teaching 3-digit operations once students demonstrated mastery over 2-digit operations, despite this not being mandated by the program.
"This proactive approach reflects the teachers' strong commitment to achieving the intended Foundational Literacy and Numeracy outcomes," Akash emphasized.
Notable Increase in Parental Involvement
DDPI Manjunath observed a significant rise in parental investment and support for children's learning. Teachers reported that parents, especially mothers, showed keen interest in the program. Many ensured their presence alongside their children during tutoring calls.
In one remarkable instance, parents voluntarily purchased additional phones to enable their children to benefit from the one-to-one tutoring sessions. Overall, parents expressed high levels of satisfaction with the extra efforts made by teachers. Educators worked beyond regular school hours to support and improve children's learning outcomes.
Impressive Learning Gains Documented
Analysis of teacher-reported data reveals substantial learning improvements among students. The proportion of students who could solve 2-digit division problems increased dramatically from just 2% to 22%. This represents a net gain of 20 percentage points in mathematical proficiency.
On average, students mastered new mathematical operations over the six-week tutoring cycle. These results demonstrate the program's effectiveness in enhancing foundational numeracy skills among primary school children.
About Ganitha Ganaka Program
Ganitha Ganaka is an evidence-backed initiative of the Karnataka state government. Implemented in the 2024-25 academic year, it serves as one of the flagship programs to improve foundational numeracy. This remote tutoring program involves government school teachers conducting weekly one-to-one phone-based tutoring sessions. The program specifically targets students in grades 3, 4, and 5, focusing exclusively on building strong foundational numeracy skills.
