Teach for India: Bridging the gap of educational inequity

With 4% Indian children never having been to school, 42% dropping out by Class 5 and 90% leaving college midway, non-profit organisation TFI is a nationwide movement working towards bridging the gap of educational inequity.

Kavita Anand, 25, describes herself as a “doer” rather than a “thinker or planner”. Over the past year-and-ahalf, Anand has been teaching maths, science and geography at the Umedbhai Patel English School, a low-income private school at Malad, as a Teach For India (TFI) fellow.

“I have got a lot more than I expected. From making plans to changing things I don’t like, I wouldn’t have got similar opportunities and freedom at the entry level at a corporate office,” said Anand,who quit a litigation consulting job in San Francisco to return to Mumbai.

With 4% Indian children never having been to school, 42% dropping out by Class 5 and 90% leaving college midway, non-profit organisation TFI is a nationwide movement working towards bridging the gap of educational inequity.

For those passionate about education, TFI places working professionals and college graduates as full-time fellows for two years in low-income, underresourced schools.

TFI started with placing 87 fellows in two cities in 20 0 9 . T his year, i t has placed 910 fellows who taught 30,000 children across Pune, Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Ahmedabad, and Bangalore.

Mistry added that more than 400 TFI alumni working across diverse sectors such as policy makers, lawyers and artists continue to take forward the objective of providing equal education for all.

To apply:
Visit www.teachforindia.org to apply for the Teach For India fellowship. Last date for applications is February 4.