Education for all: The iTeach Schools initiative

iTeach Schools’ mission to provide free, quality education to underprivileged children in Pune received a tremendous boost as the Swiss investment bank, Credit Suisse, renewed its pledge to continue supporting three Schools in Pune.

The three schools that are in the purview of the funding plans are iTeach BJR (Babu Jagjeevan Ram EMSS), iTeach KRJ (Keshav Rao Jedhe EMSS), and iTeach SVT (Swargeeya Vitthal Tupe Smart Learning EMSS). These schools are part of the iTeach mission to ensure quality education and possess the capacity to educate 680 students amongst themselves annually.

iTeach Schools started out in 2015 with the aim of establishing free, transformational schools for the economically weak and neglected children in Pune. After undertaking surveys and various studies, the mission discovered that most students never make it to the higher grades. An alarming number of students drop out before they can make it to college; only 26 percent of students end up attending college and graduating. This is the challenge that iTeach are taking on, in order to provide free-for-all quality education to the lowest rungs of society.

The iTeach Schools initiative

Through iTeach Schools, under-resourced children are given the opportunity to avail of higher education and eventually attend college. Each school functions on the basis of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model where the Government provides the infrastructure, permissions, and permits, and corporate funding and donations provide the required financial support for the operation of the school.

Upon completing Grade 7 from Government schools, students enroll in an iTeach School for Grades 8 – 10 (secondary education). After the completion of their secondary education, the students are encouraged to continue with graduation. In this regard, the Student Alumni Wing takes on the responsibility of putting students through college and even help them gain employment upon graduating.

Every iTeach School runs on support and funding provided by different corporates and organizations. The Pune Municipal Corporation is a valuable partner in this initiative to empower underprivileged children from economically weaker communities. iTeach Schools have been an astounding success and the results show for themselves. The batch of 2020, which graduated during the pandemic, did so with flying colors. Every student cleared the examination, with 85 percent of the class scoring above 60 percent.

Presently, there are 9 iTeach Schools in total, with a student strength of 1,600 and 900 alumni. The teaching staff has also expanded to 170 full-time members. The initiative has come a long way since its initial days and is becoming a guiding light for the under-resourced communities in Pune.

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