The teacher crisis in India is well known but not spoken about as much. It is estimated our government schools are in need of 5.9 lakh primary-level teachers and 3.5 lakh upper primary-level teachers. By 2030, this number is projected to increase further. There is also the need for skills training so that the effectiveness of existing teachers can be enhanced.

While there are no shortcuts there may be new ways to solve the problem. Technology is clearly a big opportunity. Using satellite links to bring teachers and students together is a proven possibility. Connecting peer groups of teachers to learn from each other is a definite opportunity.

However, even as we must progress on many fronts to build teacher capacity, it is equally imperative we help teachers today to make the most of each day at school. Each class period of 40 minutes has to be maximized for learning.

Recently a respected education leader wrote in a leading daily about his visits to government schools in remote areas. It was amazing, he observed, that ordinary people made such an extraordinary impact teaching students with discipline and diligence. Alas, only half the equation is true in many government schools. Teaching first-generation students who receive almost no support outside school hours is not easy and can easily become just a chore for those other than the truly committed.

The RightToRead program (an initiative to deploy technology enabled reading of text books in government schools) was launched in an initial ‘catchment’ of 100 government schools spread across six states. Surprisingly, the ‘infamous, reluctant, heel-dragging’ government school teachers have become our best allies in implementing RightToRead. In Punjab, students were studying English instructed in the local language; since then, though RightToRead is designed to operate during normal school hours, teachers and students have been happily spending extra time learning. In Rajasthan, an enterprising teacher linked the school computer to the generator that powers irrigation pumps and rushes to take class whenever the motor fires. In Gujarat, a principal has given up his office to enable RightToRead classes since the school does not have a computer room.

RightToRead relies on simple and important tenets. The approach is teacher-friendly; for example, the same textbook is used so that teachers do not fret about syllabus and there is no burden of additional time. These are meant to reduce resistance to change. But what causes the motivation? The answer, we believe, is that the program focuses on making the teacher an integral part of the process and enables them to feel successful.

The program is alert to the reality of a government school environment. During the initial few weeks regular visits are made to help teachers who may struggle with using a computer-based method of reading in class. Once the initial challenges are overcome, students and teachers collaborate to ensure these classes are held regularly. RightToRead aims to improve the reading skills of government school students. This goal will be achieved because their teachers will own and deliver the program. Let there be no doubt, teachers matter.

Merajjabeen, GGHS, Hyderabad: The Government Girls High School, Chowni Nade Ali Baig, is close to one of the largest slums in Hyderabad. The students are first-generation learners and come from marginalized communities. In July 2013, an English reading and comprehension software was introduced and Merajjabeen, a teacher with over 30 years of experience and with minimal exposure to computers, took on the challenge of teaching her wards with the aid of this new technology.

On the day of our visit, Merajjabeen was teaching a chapter on chess to Class VIII. She used a fine blend of digital and ‘chalk-and-talk’ method to teach. Young adolescent girls, who could not coin words together a few months ago, were engaging with the lesson and reading with the software. What makes Merajjabeen’s class unique and successful is the simplicity of her goals — to get every child to read and improve reading skills — and her approach — maximise and use the software by planning for class and creatively delivering the blend. During the visit we observed her using tools that enabled “slow reading”, “silent reading” and “group reading” through the 40-minute class.

Merajjabeen is a wonderful example of a government school teacher who has embraced technology and made it work for her students.

The original article has been published by The Hindu