Education & Literacy

Education is an effective tool for social change and community development. The literacy rate in India has not achieved the desired milestone as it should after almost six decades of Independence. According to a recent census, while 72 out of 100 Indians have access to mobile phones, only 74% know how to read and write. Despite government programmes, India’s literacy rate increased only sluggishly. The reason for the slow growth in education is lack of adequate infrastructure in villages and small towns. Most government primary schools are in an improper state.

While some lack educational resources like blackboards, tables, chairs, books and notebooks, the unavailability of proper drinking water and toilets also force some students to drop out. The biggest parameter of literacy in India is the number of children attending schools which is meant to open up new paths of learning and discovery. However, it is often seen that the primary motive is hardly realised as millions of students go through school but come out without basic literacy and numeracy skills.

This is a direct result of education in government schools not being at par with private ones as it is not tailored to the individual needs of each student. Often technical and vocational education is specific and narrow, thus limiting job opportunities as skills become quickly obsolete in a dynamic and rapidly changing world forcing such children to take up menial or low-paying jobs. Education is ultimately judged by what children learn. As a result, their contribution in development of the country as well as making a better life for themselves suffers. While the government shows that literacy rate has increased, the ground reality states otherwise. Surveys show that children studying in Class V in rural areas are incapable of reading books meant for Class II; those in middle school can barely write their names properly, which in reality cannot be classified as being literate.

Time demands that there should be more professionals in the services sector for the growth of the economy as a whole, however education imparted to children does not seem to be catching up with the changing scenario. Curriculum have been changed time and again by the government, but there are hardly any professionals in rural areas who can properly dispense the information to children.

The educationalists currently stationed in rural areas are poorly trained and weakly motivated without enough books and other basic facilities to enhance learning of the students. Our youth have the potential to change India from a developing nation to a developed nation.

However, in rural areas education systems have not caught up with the 21st century knowledge-based institutions operating in the urban regions. There is a mismatch between the competencies needed in today’s world and those acquired through the current education system. Ironically, private institutions are far and few and most importantly expensive thereby resulting in the poor not getting properly educated to compete at international levels. This is where JND Charitable Trust steps in.

The primary motive of JND Charitable Trust is to bring quality education to the masses so that they are not rendered incapable when they stare at the increasing competitiveness in the outside world. We cannot improve the progress of students without measuring it. Education systems need to closely monitor how well students are learning in order to offer the correct support before it is too late.

JND Charitable Trust will identify ways in which students can improve their learning by use of proper resources at its disposal so that not only society, but the country can benefit as a whole with a well-educated and professional workforce. JND Charitable Trust has undertaken the task to monitor and improve the quality of education of children by actively engaging parents, teachers, communities and local civil society organisations in a collective manner to turn into a better, educated and humane society so that the message of universal brotherhood can be spread across the globe.