Education at the early childhood and elementary levels is critical for each individual’s physical, cognitive and emotional development. However, in India the various stages of children’s education, from early childhood (three to six years) and elementary education (six to fourteen) suffer from various problems associated with poor coverage and quality of learning.

The Elementary Education Practice of the Social Initiatives Group (EESIG) at ICICI Bank works to enhance both facets. Innovative programmes with the potential of creating a positive impact on current systems of learning are identified. Partnerships between organisations and governments are formed so that successful experiments can be recognised and replicated on a wider scale.

Emphasis is also given to teacher training, curriculum and teacher-learning material development. EESIG also works to energise the existing government network of educational institutions at the district, state and national levels. Bodies like the State Councils of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) and District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs) form a part of this engagement.

A network of resource organisations have also been supported by EESIG to enable them to scale their own activities; they in turn contribute to efforts at building state systems at various levels with the aim of improving the child’s classroom and learning experience.

Other Initiatives:
Taking children to school
Building bridges