GE Foundation has committed over $1.6M in funds to Pratham's innovative "Open School" program offering completion of secondary education and vocational skills to unemployed women and education reinforcement for younger children.
New Delhi, April 10, 2012: GE Foundation has committed grant of over USD 1.6 million to 'Pratham' where through this grant, young adults will acquire secondary school certification, life skills, and/or basic employment readiness skills. In addition this grant will provide a continuum for Pratham's well-known Read India campaign, as these same young adults will teach and mentor at-risk elementary-age children between the ages of 3 to 14. GE Foundation has partnered with Pratham since 2005 to set up centers that will support such individuals who wish to complete their secondary school education and acquire vocational skills.
The Indian government has done a great deal of work in the last decade, to ensure that over 97% children on the primary level are enrolled in schools. However the poor quality of education largely attributed to sub-standard teaching remains a concern. In spite of access to schools, children are dropping out of school, learning little and learning late because they are simply not able to cope with the school curriculum. The situation for secondary education is even more challenging. Since the mandate of free and compulsory education only extends up to age 14, there are few secondary schools and access, especially for girls, is limited.
"We are pleased to be working with Pratham on this two-pronged approach that enables young women to 'earn' their education and training as GE Fellows, and in turn enlists their support to advance primary grade students' learning," said GE Foundation President Bob Corcoran.
Dr. Madhav Chavan, CEO of Pratham Education Foundation, said, "This is a new innovation in delivery of education for us and we are grateful to GE Foundation for continuing to support us strongly in our endeavors."
About Pratham:
Pratham, which means "first" in Sanskrit, was founded in the slums of Mumbai in 1994 with UNICEF support. Today, Pratham's direct urban programs, including pre-schools, community libraries and remedial learning programs reach hundreds of thousands of children every year. In 2007, with the support of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Pratham launched the Read India campaign, an innovative, low-cost effort to reach the ~100 million children in India who cannot read, write or do basic math.
Pratham's Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) evaluates India's status of education through direct testing of over 700,000 children in 16,000 villages across India. ASER is the only annual measurement of basic literacy and numeracy conducted at scale in India today and its widespread dissemination has helped focus government attention on the issue of learning. To support newly literate children across India, Pratham Books has developed and published over 200 plus titles across 11 languages and caters to over 25 million children every year.
Pratham's programs have been recognized internationally for their innovation and impact. Recently, Pratham received a 2011 Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship, the CNN-IBN Indian of the Year Award in the public service category and the 2010 Henry R. Kravis Leadership Prize.
With an annual budget of less than $15 million, Pratham combines large-scale impact with an extremely efficient use of funds. Pratham USA (www.prathamusa.org), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a four-star rating (the highest possible) from Charity Navigator, accepts tax deductible contributions from U.S. donors.
About GE Foundation:
GE Foundation, the philanthropic organization of the General Electric Company, works to solve some of the world's most difficult problems. In coordination with its partners, it supports U.S. and international education, developing health globally, the environment, public policy, human rights, and disaster relief around the globe.
Press Contacts:
Sangita Karra, Pratham USA Ruchi Chawla, Communications, GE India
914-260-3793 203-373-2363
[email protected] [email protected]
Swati Kapur, Pratham India
9891009928
Purnima SahniMohanty
GE Corporate Manager - Communications
[email protected]
+91-11-41555303