Back to School: Enabling Government Schools to be the Best Schools for Students In India

“I now know what good schools should be like, and I know I don’t want a mediocre education anymore”-Student, Government School, Age 14

113 million children in India study in government schools because government schools are free and therefore the chance at education. Education that their lives’ independence depends on. Most of these children come from some of the most vulnerable communities in India wherein their parents serve as migrant workers, farmers and daily wage earners. 

For the past 2 years, while most of us have managed to transition to online learning/work, children from lower-income communities in India have had compromised or no formal learning. Further, have had parents lose livelihoods and some have even lost parents and caregivers. 

It is time they get back to learning and not just any learning, but a good and holistic education! An education that will set them free. An education that will make or break their lives.

We are at a pivotal moment in time in our country. With more than 50% of the population being younger than 25, we need to invest in education. Good education. And for all. 

“Good management consists in showing average people how to do the work of superior people.” – John Rockefeller

A typical government school consists of 1 or 2 teachers teaching multiple grades of students all in one classroom. Oftentimes these schools have very small grounds, infrastructure that leaves much to be desired and rows of silent children copying things off the board. The National Education Policy, 2020 states that classrooms should be places where students develop skills such as communication, collaboration and critical thinking which will support them in becoming independent, obtaining real-world skills and having careers that can support them in the future. For this to happen, we need teachers who can facilitate such classrooms. But this is not possible if the leadership of schools is not equipped to support teachers to create a vibrant learning experience for students.

At Adhyayan, help schools become the best version of themselves. We do this by directly working with State governments, school leaders and government personnel who hold the school system upon their shoulders. We support them in the following ways:

1. We encourage students, teachers, parents, school leaders to together review their own school.
2. We help them see what they are doing well and what they can do better.
3. We support every stakeholder to share their vision of a good school.
4. We enable peer learning environments for teachers and leaders to learn from and support each other in becoming more effective.
5. We equip them to make decisions that are rooted in data and evidence so they can make better decisions for their students. 

With our work with the Department of Education in Goa for the past 3 years and newly begun interventions in Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura, we are able to notice the following shifts.

1) Students, teachers, parents, leaders understand school quality in terms measured against a quality framework which means they do just believe attendance and grades to be a marker of a good education, they want students to work in teams, build critical thinking, have social-emotional learning and learn real-world skills. 

2) Leaders at district and state levels are actively using data to determine the needs of teachers/school leaders to provide them with the right training and resources. Department of East Kameng in Arunachal Pradesh has mobilised resources to support schools with infrastructural needs.

3) School principals and other government personnel are regularly visiting schools to extend support and share best practices. Complex heads are organising meetings to encourage school leaders to share best practices.

4) Schools continue to show measurable improvement in their teaching and learning practices that moves away from rote learning towards discussion-based and engaged learning.

5) Students in Goa have been able to experience career awareness, read-aloud sessions, a learning navigator app tracking their learning outcomes and many more opportunities that impact and measure their learning.

Watch a video of a hub leader share the impact of the program: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyybAWsbqRs&t=26s

Watch a video of a student share the impact of the program: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQnBPwGqifo

There’s an invisible and long term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The World Bank predicts that India seeks to lose $420 billion in future earnings due to reduced learning levels as a result of school closures in 2020-21. 

This crisis needs to be addressed at scale and fast- this is a large systemic issue that requires a systemic solution and we are working day and night to address it. 

YOU can help us keep this going by becoming a funder and making your contribution! Every drop counts. Thank you for your time.