IndiGo and SRF Foundation transform Government Schools in Dibrugarh

InterGlobe Aviation’s CSR programme IndiGo School Adoption and IndiGo – GetSmart Mobile Digital Lab programs in collaboration with SRF Foundation are turning government schools into model schools.

Launched in March 2018 in 60 government schools and villages of four locations namely: Indore, Greater Noida, Vadodara, Dehradun, the programme was later expanded in Dibrugarh, Assam impacting 15 more schools. 

 To achieve ‘Inclusion’ in quality education, IndiGo School Adoption Program focuses on transforming schools academically, digitally and through infrastructural upgrades. 

Academically – customized subject wise workbooks for children are provided to enhance in-class learning and comprehend concepts. Additionally, the program ensures training teachers on 21^st century skills, Headmasters leadership workshops, augmenting and nurturing Academic Resource Center (ARC), academic mela etc. on boasting teaching learning creativities.

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Digital mobile labs called ‘IndiGo GetSmart’ were launched to spread digital literacy among students, youth and community people along with academic digital based learning support for school students. Under infrastructure, schools were provided with proper sanitation, access to clean drinking water, libraries, Science Labs, BaLA paintings and so on.

‘Inclusion’, from an educational perspective means ensuring every child gets an equal opportunity and quality education irrespective of all the discriminations of gender, caste, economic and social conditions. 

A complete education means to discover oneself, striving to innovate new things/ ideas, and develop life skills that would help a child to operate in the real world which the program aims to provide to the students. 

Keeping the notion of ‘Inclusion’ at the centre of its vision, IndiGo School Adoption Program is providing education to 2,459 students across 15 schools in Lahowal block, Dibrugarh. Most of these students hail from the indigenous tea tribe communities of Dibrugarh.

Further, through the IndiGo GetSmart Mobile Digital Lab initiative, IndiGo and SRF Foundation are providing access to digital literacy for the youth of its intervention villages bridging the digital divide and setting a cornerstone for inclusion of all. Till now, 26,000 community members have benefited from IndiGo GetSmart in Dibrugarh alone.

The Principal of Middle School Chaulkhowa, Dibrugarh, Mr Nana Ranjan Baruah said, “I am highly satisfied by the intervention made by IndiGo and SRF Foundation in Dibrugarh. The program in its operation is inclusive for all, thus providing access to regular school education for students of all under-served communities.” 

It is important to note that the environment is one of the most important factors that affect students’ learning. An ideal learning environment is when students view their surroundings as positive, supportive and rightly equipped. Thus, to reach out to students who do not have access to education during this pandemic, the program prioritizes to reach maximum students via online mode. 

In collaboration with school authorities, teachers and the government, the organization is training teachers and students alike on the usage of digital platforms. Further, regular interaction is made with the students to understand where they stand, their issues and concerns. 

Other than academics, students are also engaged in various extra-curricular activities like competitions, Digital Summer Camps, online poetry recitation and so on. Parents are also made an integral part of the learning process so that they are aware of their children’s progress and help motivate others to join the program as well.  

The UNESCO Convention against Discrimination of Education (1960) and other international human rights treaties prohibit any exclusion and limitation from educational opportunities. Inclusive education intends to maximize the potential of all students by bringing them together in one classroom and community, regardless of their strengths and weaknesses.

According to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) data, about 258 million children and youth are out of school for the year 2018 all over the world. The MHRD 2009 statistics state that about 80% of the Indian population dwells in rural areas without the provision of schools. This means that there are 8 million children out of school in India, who are marginalized by dimensions of poverty, disability, gender and caste. 

Engaging with reality always makes for an optimistic outlook since it brings the possibility of meaningful change closer. The adaptations made by the IndiGo School Adoption Program and IndiGo GetSmart coupled with the possibilities of bridging the gap of inclusivity through infrastructural, digital and academic interventions, offers new avenues for students and change to take place.