Quality Education | NGO | CSR
Education is one of the key areas of focus for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in India. Under the Companies Act, 2013, companies that meet certain financial criteria are required to spend a percentage of their profits on CSR activities, which can include educational initiatives. Here are some key points about education and CSR in India:
- Types of education initiatives: Educational initiatives that can be undertaken as part of CSR activities include building schools, supporting teacher training programs, providing scholarships and learning materials, and supporting digital education initiatives.
- Eligibility of companies: Companies that meet the financial criteria as set out under the Companies Act, 2013 are required to undertake CSR activities, including education initiatives.
- Partnerships with government agencies: Companies can partner with government agencies and educational institutions to implement their CSR activities. This can help to ensure that the initiatives are aligned with government priorities and have a greater impact.
- Monitoring and evaluation: Companies should establish a monitoring and evaluation mechanism to track the progress and impact of their education initiatives. This can help to ensure that the funds are being utilized effectively and efficiently.
- Reporting requirements: Companies are required to report on their CSR activities in their annual report, stating the amount spent on CSR activities, the manner in which the funds were spent, and the impact of the activities on society.
- Impact on education sector: The CSR provisions in India have the potential to positively impact the education sector by increasing access to education, improving the quality of education, and promoting innovation in education.
Overall, education is a critical area of focus for CSR activities in India, and companies can play an important role in supporting the development of the education sector through partnerships and targeted initiatives.
Education is a process that allows individuals and communities to attain their full potential. Education is essential in promoting sustainable growth and boosting people’s capacity to handle environmental and development challenges. Education is necessary for establishing values and attitudes, skills, and behavior that are consistent with sustainable development for effective public involvement in decision-making. Integration across disciplines with communication methods enhances educational outcomes. Education provides stability, security, and sensibility for one to live a meaningful life. India has a population of almost one billion people, yet only one-third of them can read. Some of the obstacles include a rapidly rising population, and a lack of teachers, books, and basic infrastructure.
The significant equity gap which exists in India also leads to discrimination in access to quality education. The human development index released by UNDP uses two metrics to assess access to education in countries. First, is the expected years of schooling and the second is the mean years of schooling. According to the recent HDI index, the expected years of schooling in India are 11.9 years, with a mean year of schooling of 6.7 years. India’s performance on the education parameters of HDI falls way short of the global average. The quality of schools in India varies significantly on the basis of geography, accessibility, and infrastructure. The education sector is confronted with various issues including inadequate allocation of funds. The budgetary allocation for the education sector by the Union government and the states combined in 2021-22 was 3.1% of the country’s GDP, a substantially lower proportion compared to countries where education has established high standards. The issue of gender disparity is also prevalent in unequal access to quality education. This issue is highlighted through the examination of school enrollment numbers in India. As per the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER ) report of 2020 , the number of girl students in government schools is higher than that of private and government-aided schools. Male students made up 56% of private schools. The basic explanation for such a gap is that Indian society continues to favor males over females when it comes to providing their children with quality education.
The New education policy by the Indian government suggests revising and overhauling all areas of the education structure, including legislation and governance. The objective of NEP is to solve some of the concerns outlined above. It aims to achieve a 100% gross enrolment ratio by 2030 which currently stands at around 27%.
Key highlights of New education policy:-
Include ensuring universal access at all levels of school education
Early childhood care & education with new curricular and pedagogical structure
Attaining foundational literacy and numeracy
Creation of gender fund
Inclusion of mother tongue in school curriculums
Such initiatives are long-term in nature and will take time to yield benefits. To accelerate the pace of providing quality education, non-profits and individuals must collaborate to bridge the gap.
Responsenet focuses on covering the important pillars of quality education which can help students gain physical and cognitive development together. We aim to develop a new system that is consistent with the aspirational aims of 21st-century education, including SDG4. The key highlights of our student-centric quality education initiatives are:-
We make classrooms student friendly by refurbishing them with adequate furniture and beautifying the walls with educational paintings.
Installing sanitation, hygiene & waste management, and safe drinking facilities.
Construction of sports complexes and digital STEM labs.
Sensitization sessions on adolescent health, menstrual hygiene & nutrition seminars.
Remedial classes for students who are unable to perform to expectations.
Career counseling, soft skills development, and personality development are complemented with regular classes to enhance student exposure to opportunities.
All activities are accompanied by extracurricular activities such as athletics, dance, and art lessons for the students.
Counseling for parents to motivate them to send their children to school on a regular basis.
Training of teachers (ToT) is also fundamental for improving teaching standards and developing activity-based learning for students.
Capacity training of school management committees to achieve project sustainability.
All of these components work together to offer children the necessary training and learning to flourish and compete on an equal footing with other students.
Education enables upward socioeconomic mobility and is a key to escaping poverty. It transforms lives and is at the heart of building peace and driving sustainable development. It is a human right for all throughout life.
The Champions of Hope – Non-Formal Education Program strives for quality education and to ensure that deprived children and youth receive the opportunity to build their dreams.
We work with partners to ensure that no children are left behind and are too far to receive an education that will help bring out the best in them and enable them to achieve their full potential.
The Champions of Hope – Non-Formal School is inspiring the communities in Bangalore city in Karnataka & Sonapur block in Assam by providing equitable quality learning opportunities to children belonging to the marginalised socio-economic background. The objective is to help bring them to par with other mainstream children.
