On 12 November 2019, over 100 people gathered at the India International Center in New Delhi to participate in the official launch of Transform Schools, an initiative of our Indian partners People For Action. Transform Schools aim to improve learning outcomes for young people in India, by increasing their access to better education and career opportunities.

Transform Schools announced their pledge to improve secondary school readiness and excellence in 7 States in India by 2021 by reaching over 6.5 million children in government schools.  They will partner with donors and State governments to work with schools, students, teachers, governors and head teachers. The event also included a panel of experts discussing the commitment and challenges of reversing India’s learning crisis. The panel highlighted the critical role of both the public and private sectors in ensuring that the government encourages innovation in education, as well as forming partnerships to raise aspirations and better prepare young people for school and beyond.

Pankaj Vinayak Sharma, Executive Director of Transform Schools said: “Transform Schools started just 11 months ago, and we are delighted by the enthusiastic response received from schools and government officials. India is projected to have the largest workforce in the world by 2027. Access to quality education is vital to prepare a productive workforce and we aim to contribute significantly towards this. We are committed to our target of impacting the learning levels of 6.5 million children by 2021.”

The launch attracted the attention of the media with the event being covered in Ten News, Education Diary and Startup Success Stories.