Pratham Featured in The Economist

Two articles recently published in The Economist address India’s education challenge. Taken together, they offer an in-depth look at the magnitude of the problem, providing historical context and identifying bureaucratic obstacles that need to be overcome to properly educate the nation’s 260 million school-age children.

India has made primary education universal, but not good examines the factors that have led to the country’s current predicament of being home to one of the largest school systems—with close to universal primary education—but also one of the worst.

“India has long had a lopsided education system. In colonial times the British set up universities to train civil servants, while neglecting schools. India’s first elected leaders expanded this system, pouring money into top-notch colleges to supply engineers to state-owned industries.”

 
Why the world’s biggest school system is failing its pupils focuses on the basic issue of poor learning levels in India’s schools and how Pratham is part of the solution.

“By adjusting the curriculum to a level pupils understand, Pratham’s high-intensity ‘learning camps’ help teach basic Hindi and maths in 40 days.”

 
Both articles make one thing clear: There is clearly more that needs to be done to give these children a chance at a productive life.

Read the full articles here and here.