Tholimettu 2025 is a FLN Programme, check First step program details from here

The Telangana state government is committed to making the government schools comprehensive. For this, the government has chosen from 2025. Govt is implementing a three-pronged strategy.

The first is Mana Ooru Mana Badi, Second is English medium, As the third weapon, the Tholimettu Prorgamme 2025 (First Step Program) was undertaken.

The results of Mana Uru-Manabadi and English-medium studies are now visible. Significant results will come from the Tholimettu 2025 (first step) programme, which will start soon under the Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Mission.

Educationists believe that with the implementation of these three government schools, they will get a new look.

Bilingual books with Telugu on the right side and English on the left are being distributed so students can study.

The first step of the Programme will start on June 12 in Government Schools. This year, the government took up the Tholimettu 2025 programme to improve educational standards and bring about a qualitative change in the state.

The main objective of this program is to enable the students to achieve the minimum competencies. This work will start on August 15 in 23,179 primary schools in the state.

11,24,563 students will be benefited from this. Teachers monitor each student’s progress, teach according to their levels, and implement the program to meet certain minimum competencies.

The primary school stage is like the foundation of schooling. Quality education is realized only when the students in this stage can achieve the competencies of their respective classes.

However, in the post-corona situation, children’s competencies have fallen to a lower level. More than 75 per cent of children are unable to read and write.

To overcome this, the Telangana school education department will implement a special program called ‘Tholimettu‘.

The ‘Tholimettu’ programme will start on August 15 across the state. The school education department officials prepared the action plan for this program.

This year, the authorities have set a target for the children to achieve the minimum competencies. As part of this, 52,000 primary school teachers in the state will be trained in three phases, starting on July 30th.

FLN Competencies

If these come, then the competencies are achieved

Reading

• Students should read 20 words per minute in class 1,
• 25 words should be read fluently per minute in class 2,
• 30 words should be read fluently per minute in class 3,
• 40 words should be read fluently per minute in class 4,
• 50 words should be read fluently per minute in class 5.

Reading and Understand

• Students of classes 3, 4, 5 should be able to read and understand the given paragraph/song/poem.
• If 5 questions are given to test this.. 4 should be able to do.

Writing

• 1st class children should write simple words, multiplication words,
• 2nd class students should write accented words,
• 3rd to 5th class, students should able to write paragraphs of 4 or 5 sentences.
• At least 4 out of 5 words should be written without mistakes.

Download Tholimettu Modules

First Step Programme

The ‘Tholimettu’ (First Step) program is being implemented from the academic year for all children (Class 1 to 5) to practice basic language and math skills.

Teaching and learning programs for all students must be planned and implemented as part of this program.

Since March 2020, children have been lagging in achieving the prescribed competencies due to COVID-19 conditions. NAS-2021 results also revealed the levels of children’s competencies.

To help the children attain all the competencies related to their classes, better practice should be provided on minimum abilities first, followed by a focus on class-wise competencies.

Therefore, in the academic year 2025, in June, July, and August, teaching and learning plans have to be formulated and implemented focusing on the minimum competencies required for the students of classes 2 to 5 to continue in their respective classes.

Primary education is like the foundation of schooling. It paves the way for the achievement of educational goals.

Students can achieve elementary and higher level skills only when proper foundational linguistic skills are practised at the elementary level. Unfortunately, quality education in schooling has become ambiguous over the past decade.

Students lag at the primary level in acquiring basic competencies, and the gap keeps widening throughout schooling.

The 2021 National Achievement results reveal that around 70% of students are at minimum level or below in language acquisition.

It seriously affects students’ learning. In addition to this, the learning crisis caused by the Coronavirus epidemic, which has been ongoing for two years from March, has brought many challenges to school education.

Tholimettu

Considering these circumstances, the Department of School Education has decided to conduct the Tholimettu/ First Step program at the primary level in the state of Telangana in partnership with Central Square Foundation, a voluntary organization that improves basic linguistic and numeric competencies to achieve class-wise learning outcomes in the academic year.

Accordingly, the State Council of Educational Research and Training has prepared model annual, unit/lesson plans and daily period plans for teachers, given their work load for classes 1 to 5.

Utilizing these, the teachers are expected to make the teaching and learning processes meaningful for their respective classes and motivate the children to participate actively to make their learning joyful.

Teachers can discuss these plans in school complex meetings, conduct demonstration lessons, and create new plans as they need to gain more expertise in their respective subjects.

Based on those, teaching and learning processes can be organized objectively in terms of planning in professional capacity development.

Plans for teaching and learning process

Tholimettu (The First Step Program)

The Telangana State has launched Tholimettu program for Classes 1 to 5 in all the TS schools to improve the foundational outcomes and bring all students on par with the class level.

In this regard, all teachers were trained to implement Tholimettu in cascade mode during July and August.

Further, the DEOs, MEOs, Complex HMs, Mandal FLN Nodal Officers, and CRPS at District, Mandal and Cluster levels have been oriented in respect of the Tholimettu program in different spells, on their roles and responsibilities towards providing academic mentoring and support to teachers. A copy of the module has been provided to the District and Mandal Level Nodal Officers.

State and District officials also visited schools after the launch of Tholimettu on 15 August to review the program’s implementation at the District, Mandal, and School levels.

The Secretary of School Education and State officials visited 5 districts and conducted review meetings with DEOs, Mandal, and Cluster FLN Nodal Officers. They analyzed the gaps in implementation.

Consequently, it has been decided to implement the Tholimettu program intensively and focused, wherein teachers will exclusively focus on the teaching and learning process in the classrooms, as required by the pedagogy advocated under the Tholimettu program.

To provide supportive supervision during this period, monitoring officers, including state-level officers, SCERT faculty, District In-charges, DEOs, District Samagra Shiksha Coordinators, MEOS, Mandal FLN nodal officers, and cluster nodal officers, are hereby instructed to visit schools and observe the classrooms.

The monitoring protocols regarding the number of schools to be visited by the officers are clearly specified in the Tholimettu monitoring handbook.

A copy of the said monitoring protocols is enclosed herewith, for ready reference and it shall be followed scrupulously.

Further, Additional Directors and Joint Directors who have been appointed as observers shall visit the districts allotted to them and extend supportive supervision for the effective implementation of the Tholimettu program.

They shall also follow the prescribed Monitoring Protocol of visiting the districts allotted to them for at least two days a week and submitting reports to the DSE. By the end of this intensive implementation fortnight for the Tholimettu program, we expect to achieve significant change in the classroom teaching and learning processes, which will serve as a basis for achieving the larger objectives of FLN.

Guidelines on the First step module

• This module contains a month-wise, week-wise, and Day-wise Annual Plan for classes 1 to 5, along with detailed period plans covering one Bridge activity (to be transacted in 5 periods) and one unit ( to be transacted in 10-15 periods).
• All these plans align with our Discourse-Oriented Pedagogy and aim to achieve the specific learning outcomes prescribed for Classes 1 to 5.
• A number of activities are suggested to make the classroom environment learner-friendly. Teachers are suggested to ensure the involvement of all students in the classroom activities.
• The Annual plan is prepared for 28 weeks @ 5 days per week i.e., for 140 days, giving a liberal margin of almost 60 days for all celebration days, examinations and other activities.
• The teacher can easily procure the TLM suggested from his/her surroundings.
• Teachers are instructed to review the plans beforehand and make necessary modifications to suit the specific needs of their individual classrooms.
• Further, it is suggested that they keep the TLM ready before entering the classroom to facilitate the effective transaction of classroom activities.
• It is hoped that by the time teachers complete the transaction of Unit -1 following the period plans in this module, they will be habituated to writing and transact effective period plans for the remaining units.

What is Foundational Literacy and Numeracy?

FLN: The education system aims to achieve foundational literacy and numeracy by 2026-27, where, by grade 3, every child can read with comprehension, write, do basic mathematical operations, and learn essential life skills.

The NIPUN vision Mission is to create an enabling environment to ensure the universal acquisition of foundational literacy and numeracy so that by 2026-27, every child achieves the desired learning competencies in reading, writing and numeracy at the end of Grade III and not later than Grade V.

Foundational Language and Literacy:

• The pre-existing knowledge of language helps in building literacy skills in languages. The key components in Foundational Language and Literacy are:
  • Oral Language: Development Includes improved listening comprehension, oral vocabulary, and extended conversation skills. The experiences in oral language are essential for developing skills of reading and writing.
  • Decoding: Involves deciphering written words based on understanding the relationship between symbols and their sounds.
  • Reading Fluency refers to the ability to read a text with accuracy, speed (automaticity), expression (prosody), and comprehension that allows children to make meaning from the text. Many children recognise akharas but read them laboriously, one by one.
  • Reading Comprehension involves constructing meaning from a text and thinking critically about it. This domain covers the competencies of understanding texts, retrieving information from them, and interpreting texts.
  • Writing: This domain includes the competencies of writing aksharas and words as well as writing for expression.

Foundational Numeracy:

• Foundational Numeracy means the ability to reason and apply simple numerical concepts in daily problem-solving. The major aspects and components of early mathematics are:
  • Pre-number concepts: Count and understand the number system.
  • Numbers and operations on numbers: Learn conventions needed for mastery of Mathematical techniques such as the use of a base ten system to represent numbers.
  • Shapes and Spatial Understanding: Perform simple computations in her/his way up to three-digit numbers and apply these to their daily activities in different contexts.
  • Measurement: Understand and use standard algorithms to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication and division operations on numbers up to three digits.
  • Data Handling: Identify and extend simple patterns starting from repeating shapes to patterns in numbers, interpret simple data/information in his/her daily life activities.

Lakshyas

Learning Goals of the NIPUN Mission: The National Mission will declare the overall national targets in achieving learning outcomes, including year wise outcomes to be achieved by the year 2026-27 by each State/UT. The overall literacy and numeracy targets to achieve the objectives of the Mission are set in the form of Lakshya or Targets for Foundational Literacy and Numeracy starting from the Balvatika.

• Balvatika
  • Recognises letters and corresponding sounds.
  • Reads simple words comprising of at least 2 to 3 alphabets.
  • Recognizes and reads numerals up to 10.
  • Arranges numbers/objects/shapes /occurrence of events in a sequence.
• Grade 1
  • Reads small sentences consisting of at least 4-5 simple words in an age appropriate unknown text.
  • Read and write numbers up to 99.
  • Perform simple addition and subtraction.
• Grade 2
  • Read with meaning 45-60 words per minute.
  • Read and write numbers up to 999.
  • Subtract numbers up to 99.
• Grade 3
  • Read with meaning at least 60 words per minute.
  • Read and write numbers up to 9999.
  • Solve simple multiplication problems.

Under the Tholimettu Programme (FLN Programme), the Government of Telangana is focusing on enhancing the Foundational Literacy and Numeracy skills among schoolchildren in Primary Schools, Upper Primary Schools, and High Schools with Classes I to V from the Academic Year 2025-23 to mitigate the learning loss due to COVID-19 situations.

In this context, the FLN programme will be implemented from the Academic Year 2025 to enable students of all Primary and upper Primary Schools and High Schools with Classes I to V to attain basic competencies.

The action plan

• For each Mandal, one Nodal Officer has to be nominated as Mandal FLN Nodal Officer for all Primary & Upper Primary Schools and High Schools which are having classes I to V in the Mandal.
• The Mandal FLN Nodal Officer shall visit Schools (2) days in a Week in the Mandal so as to cover all Primary & Upper Primary Schools and High Schools which are having classes I to V in the Mandal once in two months.
• The School Complex HM shall act as Cluster FLN Nodal Officer. He/ She has to perform academic monitoring including FLN in the Primary & Upper Primary Schools and High Schools which are having classes I to V under his/her jurisdiction in addition to normal duties as School Complex HM Job Chart.
• The Cluster FLN Nodal Officer shall visit Schools (2) days in a Week in the Complex so as to cover all Primary & Upper Primary Schools and High Schools which are having classes I to V in the Complex once in a month.
• Four to five efficient Teachers (in different subjects) from each School Complex are to be identified by the Mandal FLN Nodal Officer as Resource Teachers, and one of them shall accompany the Mandal FLN Nodal Officer and Cluster FLN Nodal Officer on a rotation basis when visiting Schools in that School Complex.
• Mandal FLN Nodal Officers and Cluster FLN Nodal Officers shall upload the Visit Reports of academic monitoring online from time to time.
• The Job Chart of Mandal FLN Nodal Officer is as per Annexure-I and the Cluster FLN Nodal Officer job chart is as per Annexure-II enclosed herewith.
• Mandal FLN Nodal Officers from Samagra Shiksha will receive a fixed travel allowance not exceeding Rs.6,000/—per annum for school visits.

In this context, the District Educational Officers are requested to take immediate action as follows:

• To nominate Mandal FLN Nodal Officer as per criteria mentioned below immediately and furnish the details of Mandal FLN Nodal Officers to the under signed on or before 28-07-2025.
• The senior most Gazetted Head Master of High School in the Mandal shall a be nominated as Mandal FLN Nodal Officer. If the senior most Head Master of the mandal is holding the charge of MEO then the next senior GHM shall be nominated as Mandal FLN Nodal Officer.
• In case, there are no Gazetted HMs in the Mandal, the Assistant senior most School Officer. of High School/UPS shall be nominated as Mandal FLN Nodal.
• To issue instructions to the Mandal FLN Nodal Officers for of four to identification five efficient Teachers (in different Complex as Resource subjects) from each School Teachers.
• To get the details of Resource Teachers, School Mandal FLN Nodal Complex wise from the Officers in the District and issue regard instructions with to Nodal Officer accompany one the Mandal FLN Nodal Officer and Cluster FLN among them on the day of visit to Schools in Complex the School for academic monitoring on rotation basis.
• To issue instructions to the Mandal FLN Nodal Officers and Cluster FLN Nodal Officers in the District to take up academic monitoring with immediate effect as per Job Chart.
• To allot mandals in the District among the Coordinators working in the District Project Office of Sanmagra Shiksha for supervision and active involvement in guiding the concerned in the respective Mandals from time to time for effective implementation of the activity.

The Regional Joint Directors of School Education, Hyderabad & Warangal are informed that they have to visit (2) days every week covering 5 to 6 Schools, in the districts under their jurisdiction to monitor for effective implementation of the Programme.

The District Educational Officers have to visit (2) days every week covering 5 to 6 Schools. in the district to monitor for effective implementation of the Programme. Further, the Regional Joint Directors of School Education, Hyderabad & Warangal and all the District Educational Officers in the State have to pay their personal attention by taking up all necessary measures to achieve the task of attaining basic competencies among the targeted School Children and furnish visit/compliance reports to the undersigned from time to time.

Job Chart of Mandal FLN Nodal Officer

• The Mandal FLN Nodal Oflicer shall visit all Primary & Upper Primary Schools and High Schools which are having classes I to V in the Mandal for at least 2-days in a week covering 4 to 5 schools The Mandal FLN Nodal Officer shall ensure to visit all schools in the Mandal at least once in every 2 months.
• The Mandal FLN Nodal Officer shall supervise/monitor all the activities related to FLN and he/she has to ensure achievement of learning outcomes and academic standards of children He/ She shall be assisted by a Resource Teacher and Cluster Resource Person during the visits.
• 4 to 5 Resource Teachers per complex shall be identified and oriented for Academic monitoring. The respective Resource Teachers of each complex shall assist the Mandal FLN Nodal Officer on a rotational basis during his/ her visit in the complex.
• Mandal FLN Nodal Officer needs to be well acquainted with the quality parameters and Learning Outcomes to be achieved and the status of the Mandal vis-à-vis District and State. He / She shall strive to improve the academic performance of all the students in the Mandal and achieve the specified FLN program goals/indicators.
• Mandal FLN Nodal Officer shall prioritize visiting Remote/ Tanda schools / low performing schools with reference to basic competencies and learning outcomes.
• During the visits, the Mandal FLN Nodal Officer needs to observe Classroom Teaching Learning Process (TLP), students’ classroom participation and abilities; conduct random (spot) assessment for children for basic competencies in literacy & numeracy; cross check with records; review; provide academic support and record the same in the Academic Guidance Register (AGR).
• Visit reports of academic monitoring shall be uploaded online by the Mandal FLN Nodal Officer.
• Mandal FLN Nodal Officer shall ensure child-wise performance tracking on a monthly basis.
• The same shall be analyzed, reviewed and gaps shall be identified to provide necessary academic support.
• Mandal FLN Nodal Officer, in coordination with Cluster Nodal Officers and Resource Teachers, shall develop a Mandal action plan to implement FLN and improve the FLN levels in the Mandal.
• Mandal FLN Nodal Officer shall conduct review meetings once in a month with all the Cluster FLN Nodal Officers, Resource Teachers & HMs to review the academic performance specifically with respect to FLN, other quality indicators of the FLN program, share insights from classroom observations and formulate clear action points for course correction.
• Mandal FLN Nodal Officer shall attend all School Complex Meetings in the Mandal and ensure effectiveness of the meetings as per agenda. Any other activity assigned by higher authorities.

Job Chart of Cluster FLN Nodal Officer

• The School Complex HM shall act as Cluster FLN Nodal officer. He/she shall visit all Primary & Upper Primary Schools and High Schools which are having classes I to V in the School Complex for at least 2-days in a week covering 4 to 5 schools.
• The Cluster FLN Nodal Officer shall ensure to visit all schools in the School Complex at least once in a month.
• The Cluster FLN Nodal Officer shall supervise/monitor all the activities related to FLN and he/she has to ensure achievement of learning outcomes and academic standards of children. He/ She shall be assisted by a Resource Teacher and Cluster Resource Person during the visits.
• 4 to 5 Resource Teachers (in different subjects) per complex shall be identified and oriented for Academic monitoring.
• The respective Resource Teachers of each complex shall assist the Mandal FLN Nodal Officer and Cluster FLN Nodal Officer on a rotational basis during their visits in the complex.
• Cluster FLN Nodal Officer needs to be well acquainted with the quality parameters and Learning Outcomes to be achieved and the status of the Complex vis-à-vis Mandal, District and State. He / She shall strive to improve the academic performance of all the students in the Complex and achieve the specified FLN program goals/indicators.
• During the visits, the cluster FLN nodal officer shall identify low-performing schools, and a specific action plan must be prepared and implemented to improve basic competencies and learning outcomes.
• The Cluster FLN Nodal Officer needs to observe Classroom Teaching Learning Process (TLP), students’ classroom participation and abilities; conduct random (spot) assessment for children for basic competencies in literacy & numeracy; cross check with records; review; provide academic support and record the same in the Academic Guidance Register (AGR).
• Visit reports of academic monitoring shall! be uploaded online by the Cluster FLN Nodal Officer.
• Cluster FLN Nodal Officer shall ensure child-wise performance tracking on a monthly basis. The same shall be analyzed, reviewed and gaps shall be identified to provide necessary academic support.
• Cluster Nodal Officer shall develop a School Complex action plan to implement FLN and improve the FLN levels in the Complex by utilizing the services of Resource Teachers.
• Cluster FLN Nodal Officer during the review with HMs, focus to be given on academic performance specifically with respect to FLN, other quality indicators of the FLN program, share insights from classroom observations and formulate clear action points for course correction.
• The Resource Teachers of the Complex shall also be invited for the Review. Any other activity assigned by higher authorities.

Cluster FLN Nodal Officers:

• Visit all primary, upper primary and high schools having classes 1 to 5 in the complex in a month.
• Conduct and record classroom observations using Tangerine App.
• Ensure that a significant change in the classroom teaching and learning processes, as is achieved in all the schools within the cluster, by October 31st .
• After the classroom observation, conduct a debriefing session with the staff and further provide academic support and record the same in Academic Guidance Register.
• Identify and analyze academic issues and gaps at a complex level, and course correct during the Complex meetings with the support of Cluster Resource Teachers.
• Record and share good practices at the cluster level.

Mandal FLN Nodal Officers:

• Visit all primary, upper primary and high schools having classes I to V in the Mandal once in 2 months.
• Conduct and record classroom observations using Tangerine App.
• Ensure that a significant change in the classroom teaching and learning processes, as is achieved in all the schools within the Mandal, by October 31st .
• After the classroom observation, conduct a debriefing session with the staff and further provide academic support and record the same in Academic Guidance Register.
• During Mandal level review meeting, identify and analyze academic issues and gaps at a mandal level, and course correct with the support of Mandal Resource Teachers.
• Record and share good practices at the mandal level.

District level Officers (DEOs, Sectoral Officers):

• Visit schools as per the monitoring protocol (copy annexed) and conduct classroom observations using Tangerine App.
• Ensure the implementation of monitoring process within the district as per the guidelines.
• Ensure that a significant change in the classroom teaching and learning processes, as is achieved in all the schools within the district, by October 31st .
• During District level review meeting, identify and analyze academic issues and gaps at a district level, and course correct with the support of District Resource Teachers and other officers.
• Record and share good practices at the district level.

State level Officers (Observers, SSA, SCERT):

• Visit the allotted districts and extend supportive supervision, as per the monitoring protocols.
• Ensure the implementation of monitoring process within the allotted districts as per the guidelines.
• Ensure that a significant change in the classroom teaching and learning processes (copy annexed), as is achieved in all the schools within the allotted districts, by October 31st.
• Before the state level review meeting, identify and analyze academic issues and gaps in the field level, discuss and provide guidance with the support of District and State Resource Teachers and other officers.
• During the state level review meeting, highlight the key issues and best practices of the allotted districts.