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Bengaluru: In a move to strengthen India’s public education system, Shikshagraha has brought Teach For India into its network as a new momentum partner. Under the partnership, Teach For India will bring its 17 years of experience in working with teachers, young leaders and alumni to Shikshagraha’s wider network.
Shikshagraha is a people-led education movement that aims to strengthen 1 million government schools across the country, enabling every child to learn better and get prepared for the future. According to the organisation, its movement has so far engaged more than 3.9 lakh leaders across 2.1 lakh government schools.
More Than 1.56 Million Small Improvements Across 2.1 Lakh Schools
According to Shikshagraha, efforts through its network have resulted in more than 1.56 million small-scale improvements across government schools. Nearly 45,000 of these improvements have been led directly by communities. The organisation’s network also includes more than 40 civil society organisations working across 16 states.
The partnership comes at a time when there is continued focus on strengthening enrolment, learning outcomes and the quality of education in government schools across India. There is also a need to increase investment in education. According to Economic Survey-related data, public spending on education by the Centre and states stood at around 4.1% of GDP in 2022-23, while the National Education Policy 2020 envisions increasing public investment in education to 6% of GDP.
Focus on Strengthening Leadership from Classrooms to Communities
Under the partnership, Teach For India will bring its classroom-led leadership model and experience in teacher development to Shikshagraha’s community network. Shikshagraha, meanwhile, will contribute its model of collective action by working with governments, schools, communities and civil society organisations.
Teach For India’s Fellowship programme gives young professionals an opportunity to work as full-time teachers in low-income and under-resourced schools for two years. After completing the Fellowship, its alumni network continues to work across education, social development and governance.
According to Teach For India, the organisation was founded in 2008 with the aim of building a strong network of leaders working to provide quality education to all children in India. According to its impact data, more than 5,800 Fellows have completed the Fellowship, while over 80% of its alumni continue to work in education and social development.
Fellowship and Leadership Programmes to be a Focus Over the Next Year
Over the coming year, the two organisations will work on the design of Fellowship and leadership programmes, the Fellows and alumni network, and a shared approach around student voice and participation. The aim is to connect people already working to improve government schools and provide them with stronger opportunities for leadership.
Shikshagraha’s Chief Curator Khushboo Awasthi said that by bringing Teach For India into its network, the organisation aims to further strengthen the role of teachers, parents, young leaders, communities and institutions. She said collective efforts can be taken to a larger scale to help build schools where every child receives support and gets an opportunity to become future-ready.
Teach For India CEO Shaheen Mistri said Shikshagraha’s vision of creating a movement covering 1 million schools could bring meaningful change to education. According to her, the partnership will provide Teach For India Fellows and alumni with an opportunity to take their existing work to a larger scale.
Overall, the partnership is focused not only on basic improvements in government schools but also on strengthening teacher leadership, student participation, community involvement and collective action. Both organisations aim to take these efforts to a larger scale and make India’s public education system stronger and more future-ready.
