Rupantar : Transforming quality of education in government schools

The Birth of Rupantar through the Power of the People

Since its inception, Sri Aurobindo Society has been working towards a person-centred education that is inclusive, joyful, interesting and relevant (know more about integral education). Every year, we reach out to thousands of students and teachers in private schools as well as at the grassroots, and collaborate with government bodies, edu-preneurs and universities to create a range of workshops and trainings, classroom resources, and research material.

Yet, the big honest question that kept us awake all night was — The problems with India’s education system are so complex, how will all of our efforts and all the efforts being made by several other NGOs put together will bring about the mass change that the country needs now? India will soon have the largest and youngest workforce the world has ever seen— But how many of our students can actually contribute to the nation’s economic growth?

In 2015, therefore, we felt compelled to come up with a large scale, innovative solution — because while change is happening in all corners of the country, what India needs is a ‘transformation’. Not of things, but of people!

In a country of 444 million children under the age of 18 years, there are 1.1 million government schools and 5 million teachers, all managed by an army of education officers at all levels. The government at centre and state level both regularly releases a large number policies, schemes and regulations (including the landmark Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan and Right To Education (RTE) Act) to ensure that this massive machinery works in sync with the country’s literacy and employability goals. And still, the goal of providing every child quality and equitable education is a far fetched dream.

So what is India not doing right?

Beyond policies, beyond schemes, beyond regulations, we need to remember that systems are built upon people — and it is the power of the people that can be a game changing factor in ensuring that India’s education system delivers what it hopes to. A high enrolment ratio, better school infrastructure, and pupilteacher ratio alone cannot justify the greater cause that education will play in nation building. We need to refocus the entire system — part by part, state by state — on empowering the stakeholders, so in turn they can strengthen the dream of a literate and educated India, where every child has the right to quality and equitable education.

Thus Rupantar was begun, as a journey, a movement of individual excellence for every education stakeholder, where they are inspired from within to realise their highest potential and offer their best self to the community, the nation and the world.

“Organisations, however vast and complex they may be, can achieve nothing permanent unless a new force, more divine
and all-powerful, expresses itself through a perfected human instrument.”
– The Mother

What we do

Empower Teachers

Zero Investment Innovation platform to identify and scale grass root best practices, and training for motivational and skills enhancement.

Empower Education Officers

Workshops to enhance their leadership, decision-making skills and understanding of the significance of their work in education.

360° Rupantar of Schools

Transformation of Government Schools - one in every district of the country - as role models of harnessing existing resources.

Bring Inclusivity in Classrooms

Special Education training for teachers to identify and support children with hidden disabilities.

Innovate Curriculum

Create new ways of teaching learning to make curriculum more values-based, relevant and joyful, for better learning and retention.

Impact Education Policy

Establish Centres of Excellence for innovation in education, and advise various government bodies on harnessing people power and existing resources.

About Rupantar