Sponsor a Child to Help them continue Education

Since 1980 the share of Indian teenagers who have had no schooling has fallen from about half to less than one in ten. That is a big, if belated, success for the country with more school-age children, 260m, than any other. Yet India has failed these children. Many learn precious little at school – The Economist

A movement for change in education: Across the country, educators and parents are recognising that public education is increasingly failing India’s young people and people are turning to alternatives and the low-cost or budget private sector is growing rapidly. Between 2012 and 2017 enrolment in low cost private schools increased by 17 million whilst public school enrolment fell by 13 million and 32% of India’s elementary age children now study in private schools. Analysis of fee levels suggest that only 1% of these pay fees of more than ₹2,500 a month, but with the average Indian daily wage at just ₹272.19 (2014) or ₹8,279 per month, this still represents a huge proportion of a family’s income.

Rishi Valmiki Eco School is part of this movement for change. Recognising the need to educate children better, whatever their income level, the school is part of this low-cost private sector, offering high quality education for just ₹10,500 per year. Despite this low fee level, some students’ families still struggle to pay, and every year Rishi Valmiki offers payment holidays or fee reductions to prevent these children from being forced to drop out of school.

To enable the school to keep its fees low and be affordable to those from lower-income backgrounds, whilst providing the high quality of education upon which it prides itself, RVES seeks funding and support from organisations like you, committed to improving education in India for the benefit of all children and the country’s future. A donation of ₹700 will enable RVES to continue to be able to support one child for a month to keep them in school and ensure those who need more support in the classroom receive it, so they can succeed, ensuring that all students, whatever their family income, continue to benefit from this significant added-value education approach. 

Research by the University of Melbourne estimates that at least 10% of all children have some kind of learning disability or require special teaching. The staff of Rishi Valmiki also see this in their day to day interactions with students. Although not equipped to provide in-depth specialist education for those with more serious learning needs, the school’s approach of activity-based learning and eco-education, as well as its caring, family-centred attitude, enables it to be a nurturing environment for students who are struggling to keep up with their peers. Through the administration of the state-recognised Learning Disability Test, RVES assess students’ specific needs and tailor an individual response for them. These programmes include one-to-one support and extra classes with learning disability tutors. 

Since we introduced the tailored support programme for struggling students we’ve seen amazing results. In one year the number of students who are unable to perform at the level of their grade and peers has dropped by 10% from 32% in 2016 to 22% in 2019 - A teacher at RVES, working with the Learning Disability Programme