Chennai: The Tamil Nadu State Report of the Teaching Learning Practices Survey (TLPS) 2025, which examines classroom practices in foundational literacy and numeracy among Grades 1 and 2 students, was launched here on Thursday.

The survey was anchored by the Language and Learning Foundation (LLF), supported by Tata Trusts, and implemented in Tamil Nadu by Madhi Foundation and Educational Initiatives (Ei). The report provides state-specific evidence on teaching and learning practices in primary classrooms and offers recommendations to improve foundational learning.

Director of Elementary Education P. A. Naresh said the survey provides valuable evidence on day-to-day classroom practices that can help strengthen learning outcomes across the State.

He noted that Tamil Nadu has nearly 35,000 schools, around 27 lakh students and a large number of multigrade classrooms. While the State has achieved strong enrolment and retention rates, improvements are still needed in learning outcomes, teacher vacancies and individual student engagement, he said.

Tata Trusts Head of Education and Deputy Head of Programmes Amrita Patwardhan said the State's Ennum Ezhuthum Mission has contributed to improvements in foundational literacy and numeracy, with midline assessments showing gains of 8 to 15 percentage points in basic learning skills.

She said the TLPS findings provide insights into classroom participation, the use of teaching-learning materials and the quality of instructional practices, helping policymakers and education partners strengthen programmes based on evidence.

According to the report, nearly all observed teachers prepared lesson plans in advance and maintained documented teaching plans. It also found that 94 per cent of teachers were aware of foundational literacy and numeracy goals, while nearly 98 per cent had undergone recent in-person training in these areas.

Language and Learning Foundation Executive Director and Founder Dhir Jhingran said the findings provide a shared evidence base to strengthen classroom teaching by supporting teachers, mentors and academic leaders.

Madhi Foundation Founder Merlia Shaukath said the report highlights both strengths and gaps in classroom practices, including opportunities to encourage greater student participation, independent reading and differentiated teaching.

The survey was conducted between November 2024 and March 2025 across nine states, covering 21 districts and 1,050 classrooms, to assess teaching practices in language and mathematics at the foundational stage.