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The major learning gaps built in through the formative years of the children from vernacular and English medium schools surface when they get to grade 9 and 10. These children are faced with the challenge of basic comprehension of the subjects they are meant to learn in so as to be SSC board-ready. Those who cannot cope with the syllabus are either detained in grade 9 or voluntarily drop out of the school.

Those who manage to get through grade 10, find the learning difficult at the colleges with their fundamental basics of languages and mathematics being weak. Their struggle hampers their learning and moral, reflecting on their job prospectus.

Poor nutrition also plays a major role in hampering learning abilities. Some children come to study with just a cup of tea and a slice of bread as a part of their breakfast. Grade 9 and 10 children also do not fall under the mid-meal scheme and attend school without their lunchboxes. Studies show that a poorly fed body diminishes the concentration levels of the brain. Thus making focusing on studies difficult.

This could eventually lead to a large pool of able unemployable youth.

Spark-A-Change realized that the children needed intensive coaching that would support the SSC Board curriculum and that every subject would have to be taught with the aim of making the children understand what they were reading. Community and regular tutors were brought in with subsidized fees to teach the children. The SAC volunteers kept a thorough check on how every child was faring.

As the children have progressed and reached grade 12, SAC now has tied up with professional tutoring classes who have taken on the initiative to bring the children to par at subsidized fees.

To support their nutrition needs, SAC provides a mid-day snack under its project #KitchenPlan (Idli-Chutney, Pulao, Puri-Bhaji, Upma, Poha)

Spark-A-Change Foundation started with intensive coaching for grade 10 midway in the academic year 2016-2017. The coaching helped the 6 children enrolled with us better their understanding of the subjects and fare much better than they were otherwise were. All 6 students passed and went on to study further. They currently have given their grade 12 board exam and are awaiting their results.

In the year 2017-2018, SAC began the tutoring the 22 children in grade 10 from the onset of their vacations. The combined efforts of the 3 paid tutors and the volunteers showed clearly in the results of the 22 children who passed with flying colours.

In the year 2018-2019, SAC brought intensive coaching further down to the 30 students of grade 9 with a belief that the earlier the learning lags are broached the better their future shall be.