Literacy Program Reaches 1700 students

Padhai, a literacy program of Arpan, the CSR wing of Infosys, Chandigarh aims to bridge the knowledge gap of students in the Union Territory. Evening classes were started in the Shastry Nagar slum and Manimajra. This program, with around 100 volunteers, benefits around 300 students. Volunteers teach for two hours every evening for five days a week.

Other supplementary programs running in these areas include:

• Literacy classes for the elderly
• Special classes for students of Standard 5 and above on weekends to prepare them for entrance exams
• Weekend computer classes to promote digital education
• Classes for students of 10th, 11th, and 12th Standards to help them with their board exams
• Extracurricular activities and an annual cultural event to boost the confidence of students by providing them with a platform to showcase their talent
• School and college admissions for students through sponsorship programs

With the learnings and success of this program, Arpan recently collaborated with the Education Department of Chandigarh and started a Basic Education Program (Pathshala) in 5 government schools. This partnership seeks to address the knowledge gap through teacher-training workshops, thereby enabling teachers to take 1 hour Padhai classes based on the knowledge levels of students. This program covers 1700 students and over 35 government school teachers—the latter being the real drivers of this change.