Organisation for Early Literacy Promotion (OELP)
B2 -2198 Vasant kunj
New Delhi 110 070, India
Phone: 011-40606221
Field Office:
408/2 Anasagar Ghati
Ganj
Ajmer 305001
Rajasthan, India
Phone: 0145-2431675
In 1993, the Yashpal Committee in its report on Learning without Burden highlighted the meaningless and joyless nature of school based learning in India. In his introductory letter addressed to the HRD Minister, the Chairman of the Committee, Professor Yashpal writes:
“In regard to the burden on children, the gravitational load of the school bag has been discussed widely in the media, and even in Parliament. After this study I and most of my colleagues on the committee are convinced that the more pernicious burden is that of noncomprehension. In fact the mechanical load on many of our students in Government and Municipal schools may not be too heavy, but the load of non- comprehension is equally cruel… I personally do believe that “very little, fully comprehended, is far better than a great deal, poorly comprehended”.
More than two decades later, educators are still grappling with the issues of non comprehension and the inherent complexities that are involved with reading comprehension.