Primary Education

Illiteracy remains at an all time high in rural India. While there is the rare breakthrough-child who manages to stumble out of the shackles of generational illiteracy, most remain illiterate. We are working towards a future where every rural child is equipped with the tools, opportunities and skills needed to thrive in the 21st century.

Stunted Potential

There are 250 million students in India and 74% are enrolled in rural schools.

  • 78% of children in grade III and almost 50% of children in grade V cannot read Standard II texts
  • Only 27% of students in Standard V can complete a division problem
  • With over 96% enrolment in primary, only 42% reach secondary and 10% complete school
  • Those who do manage to complete school are faced with uncertain and poor job prospects.

The drop in learning achievements was acknowledged as a universal learning crisis by the World Bank Group in 2022. In rural areas the quality of education is insufficient to provide necessary skills for future employment and mobility.

Transforming
Rural Education

At TRI we seek to create a rural landscape where the aspirations of children soar as high as those in urban settings. We believe that where you are should not limit where you can go. That is why are aiming to

1

Ensure all rural children transition to Class 8 or beyond

2

Ensure all rural children develop critical 21st century skills relevant in a dynamic world

3

Focus on quality education, nurture creativity and encourage an entrepreneurial mindset

how we work
1

Along with our education partners, we’ve crafted programs that bridge the gap between rural and urban communities, fostering a generation of confident, employable and entrepreneurial individuals spread across a set of Educationally Backward Blocks (EBB).

2

We’ve been implementing education programs in the poorest parts of India since 2017

3

We design, develop and demonstrate innovative solutions

4

We generate evidence for solving complex problems in rural education

5

We work extensively in EBBs through a ‘360-degree systems-view’ approach

6

We build an ecosystem of learning across school, home and learning centres

Outreach

Create platforms for the Ministry of Women and Child Development, panchayat, community institutes and education departments to work together providing infrastructure, learning facilities and more

Compile key insights for Aspirational District Fellows that have helped scale up best practices in EBBs to over 2200 primary schools in 1100+ villages, impacting 90,000+ children

Stories from the field

Vashni is a part of a self-help group in her village in Madhya Pradesh. As part of a government program to encourage livelihoods, TRI was able to help her get black hens, which are of high value in the poultry industry. Demand for the local black breed, Kadaknath, has surged in recent years as it’s valued for its low-fat, high protein content as well as its medicinal properties.

Vashni Dalia Bamaniya, Sutrati village

Rural development needs a multi-disciplinary approach that addresses the critical dimensions of life.