Nilekani sets his eye on improving elementary education

After Aadhaar and politics, Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani is learnt to be betting on education, primarily at the elementary level.

According to sources, the former chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is launching a project that is expected to impact the way elementary education is imparted, especially to students aged two to seven. As a part of the not-for-profit initiative, Nilekani is creating a team of technologists to build a platform enabling children “to learn faster, quicker and deeper”.

“He (Nilekani) is giving the same amount of importance to this project as he had to UIDAI…he is personally taking the lead in finalising the structure,” said a source close to the initiative.

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Does handwriting matter?

Does handwriting matter?

Not very much, according to many educators. The Common Core standards, which have been adopted in most states, call for teaching legible writing, but only in kindergarten and first grade. After that, the emphasis quickly shifts to proficiency on the keyboard.

But psychologists and neuroscientists say it is far too soon to declare handwriting a relic of the past. New evidence suggests that the links between handwriting and broader educational development run deep.

Children not only learn to read more quickly when they first learn to write by hand, but they also remain better able to generate ideas and retain information. In other words, it’s not just what we write that matters — but how.

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