Sampark Smart Class Program brings smiles to Chhattisgarh

One of the largest primary school transformation program in partnership with Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Government of Chhattisgarh

India CSR News Network

RAIPUR, Chhattisgarh: Sampark Foundation in collaboration with Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Government of Chhattisgarh flagged off implementation of Sampark Smart Class Program across all government primary schools in Chhattisgarh today. Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Dr Raman Singh, Kedar Kashyap, Minister for School Education, Government of Chhattisgarh and Vineet Nayar, Founder Chairman, Sampark Foundation and Former CEO, HCL Technologies Ltd. announced the state-wide launch of the Sampark Smart Class Program.

With an investment of Rs. 60 crores from Sampark Foundation, the Sampark Smart Class Program is being successfully implemented in more than 33,000 primary government schools with 23 Lakh children. The objective of this joint initiative is to ensure that 80% of children are able to do basic Maths operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division) and use 500 new words to speak and write in English after a year of implementation. Sampark Smart Class Program for Maths and English is a first of its kind intervention that uses three new innovations –

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• Audio device to assist the teacher in teaching English and Maths
• 240 Audio lessons with music and songs combined with stories and games and
• 3D teaching learning aids to make learning fun. This approach not only helps in creating excitement around learning but has also found worldwide acceptance.

Dr. Raman Singh, Chief Minister, Chhattisgarh after observing the significant jump in learning outcomes of children said, “We are happy to see Sampark Foundation invest in Chhattisgarh and partner with us under the Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Shiksha Gunvatta Abhiyan to bring smiles to our children studying in over 33,000 government primary schools. Sampark Smart Class is a very innovative intervention that is bringing excitement back into the class room and significantly improving learning outcomes as we saw last year. I wish everyone involved in the movement all the very best for the future.”

“What Sampark Smart Class Program has achieved in one year is not only commendable but inspiring at the same time. The results of learning outcome assessment in the state have been very encouraging. The teachers are excited and ready to teach along with this innovative approach using an audio device. With this rate, I am sure we will soon climb the ladder in National level learning outcome rankings as well.” said, Kedar Kashyap, Minister for School Education, Government of Chhattisgarh.

Vineet Nayar, Founder Chairman, Sampark Foundation said, “We are glad to partner with Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Government of  Chhattisgarh and invest Rs 60 cr in Sampark Smart Class transformation program in the state. The objective of the Sampark Smart Class Program is to ensure that  every child in primary government school performs much better than their private school counter parts because of committed teachers using Sampark Smart Class kit to bring in a new revolution in education and  making learning fun.”

Vikas Sheel, Secretary, School Education, Government of Chhattisgarh said, “Schools located in hinterlands generally face lack of basic infrastructure facilities and adequate teaching capabilities. The usage of computers is not only expensive, but impractical. The programme is based on the use of an innovative audio device to support teachers in developing listening, speaking, reading and writing skills of the children. The voice mascot, “Sampark Didi” anchors a unique learning journey of the students.”

• In 2016-17, Sampark Foundation is focused on 4 goals
• Train over 67,000 teachers on the Sampark Smart Class
• Distribute over 33,000 Sampark Smart Class Maths and English kits
• Monitor progress of all 23 lakh children on a monthly  basis through “Sampark Smart Class App”
• Create an Education Quality resource group for Mathematics and English at the Block, District and State level to focus on improving learning outcomes of children in primary government schools through Sampark Foundation master trainers located in each district alongside the state government leadership team.

With ‘Innovation led large scale social change’ as the central idea, Sampark Foundation founded by Vineet Nayar, Former CEO, HCL Technologies Ltd. and his wife Anupama Nayar, is impacting lives of 3 million children studying in 50,000 schools in Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir and Chhattisgarh; making it one of the world’s largest primary school transformation initiatives by a Foundation.They have committed an investment of Rs 650 cr to drive transformation in 200,000 schools bringing smiles to 10 million children by 2020.

Sampark Smart Class is a learning outcome focused frugal innovation that uses technology, a voice mascot called “Sampark Didi”, toys, folklore, games, teacher training modules combined with rigorous monitoring in collaboration with state governments bringing smiles on the faces of 3 million children across 50,000 schools at the cost of just $1 per child/Annum.

Vineet Nayar is Founder, Chairman of Sampark Foundation and former CEO of HCL Technologies, a leading IT firm whose transformation was architected from $0.7 billion in 2005 to $4.7 Billion in 2013 by Vineet, which led HCL’s management practices being taught as a case study in Harvard Business School. He is also author of the highly acclaimed management book, “Employee First, Customers Second – Turning Conventional Management Upside Down which has sold 100,000 copies till date. Vineet has been cited in “Forbes 48 Heroes of Philanthropy 2016 for the pedagogical innovations the Foundation has brought into classrooms. He is also an acknowledged management visionary and a radical thinker and has been included in the elite “Thinkers 50 List” in 2011-2012 which is a listing of the world’s top 50 business leaders.

Photo Credit: Financial Express

Photo Credit: https://www.flickr.com (Deepa Srikantaiah, 2012)