Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Grower of teachers @ Shaheen Mistri - Akanksha Centre



Grower of teachers @ Shaheen Mistri - Akanksha Centre 



When she was 18, and on a summer visit home from college in the USA, Shaheen Mistri began acting on her dream, quality education for every child in India. She started the first Akanksha Centre at the Holy Name School, Colaba: just her and a group of volunteers using the classrooms for after-hours classes for children from neighbouring slum areas. That little idea had legs. The Akanksha Foundation now serves 6,500 children through three centres and 21 schools in Mumbai and Pune.

In 2008, she founded Teach For India, based on the Teach For America model. TFI places college graduates and other professionals in schools in low-income areas for two-year full-time teaching stints where they are exposed to the challenges of education at the grassroots. Long-term, the aim is that many of the TFI Fellows pursue their own careers in education, thus building leadership in the sector. That this is needed isn’t in doubt. A recent Pratham report — among others — pointed to a critical imbalance in the quality of education, stating that one in two Indian children can’t read books meant for three classes below the one they were in. The government school system also has numbers of teacher vacancies across the country.

“What motivated me to start Akanksha was the belief that the world wasn't fair, that children didn't have equal opportunities to fulfil their potential,” Mistri says. “That's my motivation now as well, except that today, this is fuelled by the belief that a movement is building to change this. I'm here to do what I can until that day that all children attain an excellent education.” TFI and its alumni are creating a silent revolution. What sets them apart is their attitude to teaching, a commitment not just to imparting information but also to ensuring kids enjoy learning. That attitude clearly filters down from the top.


Regards

Pralhad Jadhav  

Senior Manager @ Knowledge Repository  
Khaitan & Co 



Twitter Handle | @Pralhad161978

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