Strengthening Government Efforts in Providing Quality Education

The Satya Bharti Quality Support Program, initiated in 2013, is a collaborative endeavor between the Foundation and the respective State Governments. The program works around the core philosophy of making schools engaging and happy spaces by enabling students acquire leadership, communication, collaboration, and other 21^st century skills leading to their holistic development.

The program supports students, teachers, parents and administrators to transform schools into vibrant and integrated institutions of learning by bringing in co- scholastic interventions. These broadly are:  

Student’s Empowerment:

A series of steps are undertaken for effectively engaging students. The focus is on all-round development through extra-curricular activities that enhance their critical thinking and analytical abilities. Variety of programs are organized to make them learn and excel in leadership roles through seminars, lecture series, workshops, talks, club activities and competitions in sports, arts and culture. These initiatives endow them with real-life skills and sensitize them about their role and duty towards environment and society.

Parents’ and Community Involvement:

The involvement of community members and parents is one of the key hallmarks of the Program. Continuous inputs are taken from parents, community partners, school management committee members, local leadership such as village sarpanches and other authorities to ensure their buy-in for achieving the eventual goal of ensuring quality education. Stakeholders are invited to the school events, so that they are updated about the caliber and development of students. Regular, structured Parent-Teacher Meetings are encouraged, and community is involved to support school by bringing in resources so that both work as a coordinated team for the benefit of children.

School Leadership and Teachers’ Engagement:

The intervention focuses on crafting a joint vision with school leadership, so that they believe in their ability to bring about a change and motivate teachers since they are the mainstays of a strong education system. Consistent actions are taken to strengthen the teachers through a series of professional development programs. New processes are institutionalized. Engaged teachers and school leadership are empowered to enhance the level of the overall schooling experience for students.

School Environment:

It is ensured that a vibrant learning environment is created and the existing school infrastructure is utilized optimally. Overall cleanliness, plantation, energizing labs/ libraries, child safety processes, colourful spaces for displaying students’ creative work and so on.  For instance, facilities such as libraries are made to function well by making these vibrant, using them as venues for club activities, arranging and cataloging books better, etc. Connected and involved stakeholders are equipped to mobilize resources for upgrading infrastructure, if required. There is a pursuit to provide safe, warm, learning and conducive environment to the students, which acts as a stimulus to perform and deliver better results.

Program is led by a trained Mentor whose key role is to support the school create a road map for these interventions. Best practices are shared and overall guidelines on how to initiate, implement and monitor progress are provided, whereas the responsibility for call to action rests with the Government school leadership.

The program has achieved phenomenal success in the last five years in terms of number of schools and students impacted across the length and breadth of the country. Its footprint continues to expand rapidly with many more partnerships in the pipeline.