The puzzle of missing urgency around learning

India, like many other developing countries, has been in the midst of a learning crisis, as evidenced by Annual Status of Education Reports (ASER), notwithstanding the marginal improvements seen in the last few years. Yet, the absence of learning outcomes, especially Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN), has failed to generate urgency on the ground, despite policy backing and unprecedented funding.

Why does a crisis of such magnitude not result in immediate action? The answer may lie in a concept often overlooked in public policy: salience. Systems change not merely when policies are well-designed or resources are abundant, but when enough people recognise a problem, believe it matters, and act on it.