Education is a cause that deserves more attention than anything. The state of schools in rural hinterlands of India is dismal, to say the least. The same came to the notice of Pramod whenever he came back to his village in holidays from his job in Tanzania.
He felt a stark contrast in the facilities that he has seen over the years in big cities and other countries as compared to villages in India. He decided to do something about it and started after school classes. Kaushik was working in Jaipur at the time when he joined Pramod in this initiative. Both of them ditched their well-settled jobs and thus was born Prakash Academy.
“To give equal opportunity to every child of this world,” is the mission of Prakash Academy.
It is a social enterprise where technology is used to provide education to these children in the form of an after-school program. Stress is laid on English, Mathematics, and Science so that they the students are skilled to rise up to the challenges and opportunities of higher education anywhere in the world.
It is a social enterprise where technology is used to provide education to these children in the form of an after-school program. Stress is laid on English, Mathematics, and Science so that they the students are skilled to rise up to the challenges and opportunities of higher education anywhere in the world.
Run by three guys – Pramod, Kaushik and Aman, Prakash Academy has one and only one agenda – to give quality education to children in rural Bihar. While Pramod is an IIT alumnus, Kaushik has passed out from BIT Mesra and Aman is an engineer turned professor.
Both Pramod and Kaushik come from lower-middle class families and have seen their parents struggling to make ends meet and give them a chance at a future that most of the kids in those areas don’t get.
“The condition of state boards and the affiliated schools is not something to talk about. Class 7th and 8th students don’t even know how to read or write,” shared Kaushik, co-founder, Prakash Academy.
When students don’t learn anything or see a promise of a bright future, they often drop out of school. According to a report by the Montreal-based UNESCO Institute for Statistics and Global Education Monitoring, 47 million youth of secondary and higher secondary school-going age drop out of school in India. The students who do stay in school are unable to find a job. It is a vicious cycle.
The first study center of Prakash Academy was opened in Bhore district in May 2016. It was followed by 3 more centers in Husseypur, Sisai, and Hajipur. At present, a total of 200 students is studying across all centers.
The teaching methods at Prakash Academy are a mix of personal teaching combined with innovative technology.
“We use real-time interactive videos to facilitate lectures for the students. This new technique intrigues parents and students alike ” shared Kaushik.
They are also looking at working on prototypes of these technologies which they could sell to private schools in tier-2 and 3 cities, revenue from this will be used to fund the Academy. With their two products – Prakash Live and Prakash Plus – Kaushik and Pramod are looking to enter the market soon. Their initial target is to present these products to 16 schools.
While they fund the education for children whose parents cannot afford the basics, they are charging Rs 100 per child to make this initiative sustainable.
“In some cases, it is true that parents want the children to earn, most of the families do want their children to study so that they have bright prospects,” Kaushik added.
Mostly, the awareness level is very low and parents don’t know where to go or what to do. Such cases account for some sensitization at the community level which Pramod and Kaushik do from time-to-time. Prakash Academy also offers the classes at flexi-timings so that they can attend these classes at their own convenience.
The problem is huge and deep-rooted; Prakash Academy is one step closer to finding alternative means to educate children in a holistic manner and give them a promise of a tomorrow full of opportunities.
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