At the end of British rule, India’s literacy rate was less than 12%. It has grown to 74% but is still below the world average of 84%. It is difficult work to grow education in India due to the level of extreme poverty and its population. One third of the world’s poor live in India, and one third of India’s total population falls below the international poverty line. There are 835 million living on less than $5 a day.
For parents making between $3 and $7, Sudiksha Knowledge Solutions is able to provide preschoolers with an education for only $8 a month. Due to their low start-up costs and their innovative practices to save expense and share profit, their mission to open 1 million schools by 2020 is possible.
There are 120 million children in India between the ages of 2 and 6. Only 18 million can afford to attend private preschools, and 35 million attend day care centers that do not necessarily provide quality education. Overall, 50% drop out of school by 5th grade, and 80% by 10th grade.
Sudiksha does more than provide preschool education. It is developing curriculum that is fun for the children and instills a love for learning. This is not the case in government or other private schools. Plus the government has limited infrastructure and budget to address the problem.
Naveen Kumar, co-founder of Sudiksha, shares the background and methods Sudiksha is using to overcome the educational problem in India. He and his team have formed a for-profit business model that ultimately will share profit with the local women who have been trained by Sudiksha and are managing the individual preschools for the poor. Already 18 preschools in Hyderabad and Andhra Pradesh are successful in just 3 years costing a low $1600 per school to set-up. To expand their revenue, Sudiksha also provides after-school care, dance classes and remedial tutoring.
Watch the video below to see Sudiksha in action:
