The chance to learn and grow is a right, not a privilege
By Vivek Varshney, Founder, SpeEdLabs India
A journey by train in India, while a chance to see the scenic lush green meadows, stunning water bodies, and mysterious tunnels of the country, is also a sight of the plight of our country’s children. The heart-rending images of children, underprivileged yet happy. Some playing and sitting by the rail tracks, some lending a hand in the fields, some engaged in household chores in their small huts. Rarely though do we see a child holding a book, as we watch from the train crossing by.
The truth here is far more complicated. This isn’t an unusual day in their lives, but one they live every day. Lakhs of children in India don’t have access to education. They continue to work in homes and fields instead of being in a classroom, learning, interacting, playing and receiving education.
With technology, mobile phones and cellular networks in every nook and corner of the country, why is education still a struggle for so many?
Education is and should be easier and accessible with technology; it is just a matter of application at the right place. The text to speech software has abled many disabled but brilliant talents; language translations has helped students focus on the subject and not the language it is written in, and online lessons are accessible to even the remote areas. Every little step is a step closer towards ensuring their learning and success.
And beyond pedagogy, the grim reality remains that several children do not have access to supplies essential to their education. Let alone textbooks, families are unable to afford basic pens and pencils for their children. And yet, these are some of the very things that make education so exciting for the young learner. The thrill of uncapping a new pen, the joy of sharpening a new pencil, the aroma of fresh crisp notebooks, the pleasure of sipping water from a bottle, is something every young child deserves, in order to have a complete education, not one where they scrape by with the bare little, they can put together.
For many of us, a simple notebook and pen, Internet or even a satchel, is an everyday commodity. But for even more than we know, these simple items are luxury, particularly during a period when the pandemic has struck such heavy blows.
A change is possible and it’s up to us to see it through. If we are among the fortunate to have access to both education and education supplies, it is up to us to share those blessings
To meet this goal, we at SpeEdLabs India have introduced a new initiative called #FillTheBackpack that is working towards ensuring that young learners have access to much-needed educational materials such as backpacks, stationery, water bottles, notebooks, etc
All we need is your support!
A little can make a whole lot of difference to one child.
Let’s make sure that the future of children is empowered, equipped and entitled to an education.
Let’s #FillTheBackpack!
Vivek Varshney is the Director & Founder of SpeEdLabs, one of India’s premier coaching platforms. With an MBA from IIM Lucknow & B.Tech from IIT Kanpur, he has more than 15 years of rich experience in the field of education innovation. He has designed hybrid pedagogy finding the right balance between AI ed-tech and classroom teaching.
#FillTheBackPack is a SpeEdLabs initiative that is working to ensure access to materials essential to basic education, for as many children as possible.
To donate head to: tinyurl.com/2z8v3psy\