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About the Organization

Pratham is an innovative learning organization created to improve the quality of education in India. As one of the largest non-governmental organizations in the country, Pratham focuses on high-quality, low-cost, and replicable interventions to address gaps in the education system. Established in 1995 to provide education to children in the slums of Mumbai, Pratham has grown both in scope and geographical coverage. Pratham means “first” in Sanskrit. True to its name, it is the first major organization to achieve lasting, large-scale success in India’s educational landscape. Pratham works in collaboration with the government, local communities, parents, teachers, volunteers, and civil society members. The organization seeks to reach as many children as possible, while creating a replicable model for state governments. Pratham’s strategies reconfigure teaching methodologies, break down traditional tactics, and challenge the rote learning mechanisms used in Indian schools. In its early years Pratham developed innovative teaching-learning methods, materials, and measurement techniques. In 2005, Pratham pioneered a nationwide school survey that has had a major impact on national and international policy discussions.Working  directly with children and youth as well as through large-scale collaborations with government systems, Pratham programs reach millions of lives every year. Pratham’s Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) approach has demonstrated proven impact.

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Half of India's village children cannot read or understand mathematics at a level appropriate to their age and grade.

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Pratham offers teaching tools, “learning camps,” and educational policy reform building on its Annual Status of Education Report.

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Madhav Chavan envisions an India where all children love learning and receive a quality education.

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Pratham maintains an active presence in 17 states and 28,000 villages.

Ambition for Change

Every underprivileged child in India between the ages of six and 14 experiences love of learning and receives a quality education.

Path to Scale

Demonstration and Policy Reform

States and school districts adopt literacy and numeracy targets, make teaching and learning tools available, and support parent and volunteer engagement.

Skoll Awardee

Dr. Madhav Chavan taught chemistry at the University of Houston and the University of Mumbai before joining India’s National Literacy Mission in the slums of Mumbai in 1989. He co-founded Pratham with Ms. Farida Lambay in 1995 in response to UNICEF’s challenge to universalize elementary school education by creating a societal mission that brought together business, government and civil society members. In 2004 Dr. Chavan was invited to become a member of the first cohort of the government’s National Advisory Council, chaired by Mrs. Sonia Gandhi. Dr. Chavan has brought to Pratham his vision of low-cost, high-impact and large-scale solutions to India’s education problems, an intense focus on measurement and results, and a willingness to partner with key stakeholders, especially the government, to achieve social change through universal education. In addition to the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship, Dr. Chavan was awarded the WISE Prize, known as the Nobel for work done in education in 2012. He has also been recognized as an Asia Game Changer by Asia Society. Most recently, he received the Teachers College, Columbia University's Medal for Distinguished Service. Dr. Chavan stepped down from his role as CEO of Pratham in 2015 but continues to be a full time member of the board, while also looking after the vocational training and digital learning innovations wings of the organization. Dr. Rukmini Banerji took over as CEO in July 2015.

Impact & Accomplishments
  • Among Grade 3-5 children attending Pratham’s 2016-2017 Learning Camps, the percentage of children able to read at a Grade 1 level increased from 24 percent at the start of camp to 81 percent by the end.
  • In Karnataka state specifically, the percentage of Grade 4-5 children able to read a Grade 2 level increased from 39percent at baseline to 75 percent at the end of Pratham’s intervention. In 2017-2018, Pratham’s partnership with the state expanded from three to 13 districts.
  • The Indian central government’s policy for learning outcomes now mirrors the Teach at the Right Level (TaRL) method, which has driven traffic to Pratham as a key government partner.
  • The TaRL method was featured in a 2016 government compilation of best practices across Indian states (“State Forward”). And the World Bank’s 2018 World Development Report highlighted the role of the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) in driving attention toward learning outcomes.
  • Other countries, such as Zambia, have started to pilot and scale aspects of Pratham’s model.
Affiliated
Manushi Yadav
Head Strategy and Partnerships, Pratham
Devyani Pershad
Head, International Collaborations, Pratham
Rukmini Banerji
CEO of Pratham, Pratham
Madhav Chavan
Co-Founder, Pratham
In the News
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