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Azim Premji Foundation ties up with AP Govt to universalise education

Our Bureau

HYDERABAD, July 3

THE Azim Premji Foundation and the Andhra Pradesh Government have come together to reach out primary education by jointly focussing on the complex problem of universalisation of education in the State.

Having entered into a memorandum of understanding here on Tuesday at Dr. M.C.R. Institute of Human Resource Development, both the parties have resolved to chart out a joint action plan that will take up the task to cover the entire State in a phased mann er.

The Chairman of Wipro, Mr. Azim Premji, said the MoU clearly brings out the Government's inclination to commit deliverables upfront in the area of elementary education.

The State Chief Minister, Mr.N.Chandrababu Naidu, said that the Government and the Foundation will focus on the mobilisation of communities in the geographical area identified under this initiative. The venture will focus on universalisation of elementar y education in every single town, village and habitation in the select geographical area. The objective is to ensure that every child is in the school and learning.

The mobilisation of communities is the key and it will happen through the activists and youth from the villages who are committed to education. The Government will provide the infrastructure and teachers within a mutually agreed time frame.

The emphasis will be on improving the learning skills in school since it has a positive influence both on attracting out of school children as well as retraining them in school.

The Foundation has already initiated the process of collaborating with the State Government in 500 villages in Nalgonda district on a pilot basis. Plans have been drawn up to initiate the process of universalisation of education in 100 mandals across th e State in the next six months.

The Azim Premji Foundation was set up in 2000 with resources from Mr.Azim Premji. The foundation dreams to reach out primary education. It has already teamed up with the Karnataka Government to work in over 5000 villages and plans to work in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.

The Foundation works within the existing system and facilitates participation and support of large sections of society. It supports bridge schools and alternate education systems to integrate out of school children and provide remedial education for chi ldren. More importantly, it explores the usage of IT to support learning processes in schools.

Pic.: The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr N Chandrababu Naidu, with the Wipro Chairman, Mr Azim Premji, and the Azim Premji Foundation CEO, Mr Dilip Ranjekar, after signing an MoU to universalise primary education in Hyderabad on Tuesday.

Picture by A Roy Chowdhury