In the nineties, while surveying over a hundred Government schools in urban Lucknow, we noticed that teacher absenteeism led to schools not being opened for 8 to 10 months a year. Our mission of empowering more children to learn English seemed bleak after seeing the state of the education system. However, things have changed since the nineties which makes our goals more achievable. 

The Difference Teachers Are Making

Every fortnight Anurag Behar, the Vice Chancellor of Azim Premji University, in his blog ‘Other Spheres’ (www.livemint.com/othersphere) brings us stories of hope from across the country. Stories about government school teachers who have provided exemplary leadership despite the difficult conditions they work in. He also calls out the work that remains to be done by governments, and practitioners in the public and private sphere to improve the quality of public education in the country. The Azim Premji University is actively engaged in the development of talent and the creation of knowledge which can catalyze sustainable improvements in education.

EnglishHelper’s Effort To Help Children Learn English

While policy makers and governments continue their dialogue and efforts, EnglishHelper initiated a program for government school teachers and students to learn English in June 2013. 100 Government schools across 6 states – 20,000 students and 1000 teachers – would benefit from a low cost, technology enabled solution to improve English proficiency. Reactions were aplenty! Teachers adapting to technology; Government school’s poor infrastructure and erratic power supply; Teacher attendance or the hesitant acceptance of the English Language.

The RightToRead Initiative

Five years on, the Program initiated in 100 schools has become a movement – RightToRead! Every day – an expanding footprint, new frontiers, new partners, a million students to empower. As this movement aims to target thousands of government school teachers taking ReadToMe, to help more students learn English. The deployment in diverse classrooms and conditions, the commitment of principals and teachers has been to say at the very least, encouraging! Every day in a RightToRead school, as a Government school teacher starts up a ReadToMe class, there are groups of students watching in rapt attention as their textbooks come alive. The tool helps improve reading and comprehension, using dictionaries, vernacular word lists and a picture dictionary. These tools enable the students to decode words and improve their comprehension and reading skills. Read more on the impact of the intervention at

https://www.englishhelper.com/resources/research-center/2017/12/20/a-large-scale-study-of-the-effectiveness-of-multi-sensory-learning-technology-for-learning-english-as-a-second-language/

The Right Use of Technology

The ability of our government school teachers in adapting to technology usage amazed us as we visited schools across the country. But more importantly, their commitment to provide the best for their students. In inner city in Hyderabad, we observed a senior teacher teach a class on chess using the tool; At a Government school in Janakpuri in Delhi, we observed a Sanskrit teacher using ReadToMe cleverly to deliver an English lesson; A Zilla Parishad teacher in Jalna District, Maharashtra, counted ReadToMe among the many blessings provide her students an opportunity to excel and compete.

We celebrate teachers as our RightToRead champions – our Government school teachers who will contribute to nation building by empowering a new generation of learners – English skilled and proficient to face the world.

– Written by a member of the EnglishHelper Team.

For more information about RightToRead, visit www.englishhelper.com!