Page 52 - EducationWorld March 2023

People

Reach to Teach CEO with the Gujarat state (BJP) govern-
ment to improve teacher training
in government schools. RTT is also
a partner in the World Bank/AIIB
funded (Rs.7,500 crore) Mission
Schools of Excellence (SoE) project
of Gujarat state, engaged in upgrad-
ing infrastructure in 3,000 govern-
ment schools.
Direct talk. “Over 50 percent of
India’s school-going children are in
government schools. Therefore, our
focus is on improving government
schools especially in educationally
underserved regions of the state. To
reap India’s demographic dividend,
greatest attention must be given
to government schools. During the
nationwide lockdown of schools
for 82 weeks, we designed several
modules for home learning and
emergency education. This experi-
Viswanathan: government schools focus ence has enabled us to improve new
technologies-enabled pedagogies and
ATNA VISWANATHAN is History. An English literature alumna expand RTT’s institutional capability
the Gurugram-based CEO of Lucknow and Utkal universities, and reach,” says Viswanathan.
Rof Reach to Teach (RTT, Viswanathan quit the Indian Ad- Future plans. Viswanathan is looking
estb.2003), a social impact organ- ministrative Service (IAS) in 2008. forward to engaging with more state
isation with roots in London. It is In a career spanning two decades governments in the near future. “We
focussed on improving teaching- in the IAS, she rose to position of are in talks with several other north-
learning outcomes in government Senior General Manager Finance of east governments which are very
schools. the Prasar Bharathi Corporation of impressed with our whole school
This not-for-profit shifted base India. After that she served in senior improvement model. I intend to have
from London to India in 2020. Cur- leadership roles with Oxfam India, a couple of model schools this year,”
rently it has offices in Chandigarh, the London-based VSO (Voluntary says this cheerful and optimistic
Itanagar, Ahmedabad and Guru- Services Overseas) India, Microfi- education leader.
gram. nance Network India and UNDP. In Autar Nehru (Delhi)
Newspeg. Last July (2022), RTT 2020 she accepted the offer to head
signed a tripartite agreement with RTT. Accounting
the state government of Arunachal RTT overview. RTT was registered in
Pradesh and NITI Aayog to provide the UK two decades ago by Sanjeev
FLN (foundational literacy and Gandhi, a London-based technol- certification leader
numeracy) programmes to all 2,985 ogy whiz, investor and second-
government schools statewide. generation immigrant. The NGO’s ARUN JAIN is founder-CEO
This is the second FLN upgrada- initial engagement was with four of the Bangalore-based Miles
tion agreement initiated by RTT. In tribal districts in Valsad visited by VEducation Pvt. Ltd (ME,
2021, it inked a similar agreement mobile classrooms. In collabora- estb.2011, head count: 600). Miles
with Haryana’s education ministry. tion with several local NGOs, RTT Ed is an an edtech company that
Moreover, RTT is designing a frame- set up learning resource centres in provides undergrads and working
work for teacher education institutes these districts supported by school professionals training — in hybrid
across Haryana. Largely funded by teachers from the UK who trained mode — to acquire globally accepted
the Larry Ellison Foundation (the para-teachers to develop FLN skills accounting certification (CPA, CMA,
philanthropic arm of Oracle Corpo- of neglected children and enable CFA, FRM) of the American Insti-
ration), RTT provides free-of-charge drop-outs to return to school. tute of Certified Public Accountants
services to state government schools. In 2019, RTT signed an agreement (AICPA), Institute of Management

54 EDUCATIONWORLD MARCH 2023