Education

From schools that teach rag pickers to read, to career counselling for tribal youths. From teaching village girls programming to literacy programmes that move away from rote learning. Read about the latest in not just rural education but learning.

Seed-ing math skills with ancient board games

Who needs hi-tech or even flashcards when rocks, seeds and animals can help teach kids math? Yes, this National Mathematics Day we’re talking old-fashioned board games - still embraced by rural India - that sharpen brains and are fun to play.

Education comes to a community ridiculed as rat-eaters

A school for Musahar girls in Patna, the state capital of Bihar, is challenging the caste system that looked down upon people who “ate rats”. As they get an education, they are slowly rewriting their future.

A saviour school for Assam’s displaced Bengali Muslim children

Musabirul Hoque, a social activist who represents Assam’s displaced Bengali Muslims, sets up a school for children of the community, giving them a fresh chance at life. Village Square does a recce.

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Mandla makeover – How MP’s cyber crime hub became a literacy model

When 4,500 volunteers set out to transform Mandla in 2020, it was notorious for its low literacy rates and cyber fraud. It then became the first district in Madhya Pradesh to achieve 100 percent functional literacy.

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Bihar’s STEM girls embrace coding to land lucrative jobs

School of Programming, a collaborative initiative of Project Potential and NavGurukul in Kishanganj, is empowering young women from rural Bihar with software coding skills, opening doors to aspirational careers and transforming their future.

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An aspirational district’s quest to fix STEM education for girls

Gumla, an aspirational district in Jharkhand, is reimagining STEM education at the school-level through a host of initiatives supported by existing resources and trying new, innovative methods, such as sending girl students to ISRO on an experiential trip.

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Rider cycles his way to reviving sustainable farming in Bihar

Rakesh Rider, a 48-year-old cyclist and agroecologist, is promoting sustainable farming through his initiatives Studio Saag and Bagmati Vidyapeeth, wherein he teaches students about natural farming, seed preservation and reducing agriculture costs.

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Bamboo schools transform education for migrant workers’ kids in Punjab

Punjab’s eco-friendly bamboo schools address the pressing issue of migrant workers’ children missing out on education due to safety concerns and the lack of nearby institutions.

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Educational society transforms lives in rural Uttar Pradesh

Educating girls empowers them. The Pardada Pardadi Educational Society is making a difference to the locals of Anupshahr by schooling girls from underprivileged backgrounds.