Jaipuria Institute Reconnecting the Disrupted Learner with Main Stream Education

Lucknow | One out of every eight students enrolled in a school or college tends to drop out midway without completing the education and over 62% of all dropouts happen at the school level. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant disruption to students' learning around the world. In India, it has left over 286 million students from pre-primary to upper secondary out of the former system since March 2020. Evidence from past prolonged school closures shows that such disruptions can set generations of children back for life.

But in all these unprecedented times, Jaipuria as a group has played a role of a wingman for the students. It has been at the forefront of education in India since 1945 when Seth M. R. Jaipuria laid the seed of The Jaipuria College in Kolkata, which was inaugurated by Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru. As a socially responsible institute, Jaipuria aims to groom its students with the best of the skills set and making them responsible citizens. The need now is to bridge the gap caused as a result of the digital disruption where students have been detached from the actual classroom learnings.

Therefore, as an outreach to reconnect the disrupted learner with the education mainstream, Jaipuria Institute launched a drive to solicit resources necessary for such an action. This includes an appeal for the donation of digital devices. It plans to organize 20,000 plus hours of volunteer time for campaigning and delivering tuitions to the disrupted learners, distributing the digital devices, and bringing onboard disrupted learners back to the education mainstream. Talking on the social cause Dr. Kavita Pathak (Director, Jaipuria Lucknow) and Prof Reena Agarwal(Chairperson, Social Responsibility Committee) showcased their concern for the disruption caused in the lives of the underprivileged and what steps can be taken in unison to bring them back to mainstream education. The noble cause to reopen doors for education for the disrupted learner fuelled greater participation from the senior and the junior batch. Ultimately, evoking the philanthropist within.

"It is a unique effort of Jaipuria lucknow in partnership with our associates for reconnecting the school dropouts into the educational mainstream. You can lend us your vital support by donating your used devices like laptops, mobile phones, tablets which we will refurbish and get them back to the educational stream through the government school setups and the NGOs supporting the education of underprivileged or dropouts. We urge you to be a part of this game-changing mission of impacting lives and livelihoods. Please support by donating. 'Padhega India tabhi to aagebadhega India' ", said Dr. Kavita Pathak, Director, Jaipuria Institute of Management, Lucknow.

To put forth a bigger picture on the congregation Jaipuria Institute of Management conducted a social experiment wherein a total of 54 teams were formed consisting of 10 members in each team. Each team was assigned a task to serve the cause by pitching the idea to the masses in a marketplace, homes and persuading donors of digital devices like mobile phones, tablets, laptops to help the disrupted learners capture the light of education. This step provided them with a medium to attain online education and tread the path of brighter future.This initiative induced people towards philanthropy and moved them to be a changemaker in society.

A campaign like this will help address and eradicate the evils caused as a result of the disruption and will provide the underprivileged children have a comrade on their side to help them and fight back in these distressful times.Jaipuria has always been at the headship to extend the helping hand, making the Jaipurians emerge stronger every time in need of the hour.

Ms. Promini Chopra, Principal at Seth M.R. Jaipuria School, Gomtinagar said "The pandemic has led to disruption and learning and this is going to have far-reaching effects. It becomes our responsibility to help the country come out of this. We have joined hands with Jaipuria Institute of Management. Together, we are going to help the disrupted learner. I am happy to say that 250 students of Seth MR Jaipuria School along with their teachers have devised a curriculum wherein for 30 hours they will be teaching basic English, Maths, and Hindi to children in villages who haven't had enough learning in the past 18 months. I am looking at my school children associating with the lowest runs of the society because I believe that is real education."

Dr. Reena Agrawal, Chairperson of Social Responsibility Committee at Jaipuria Institute of Management, Lucknow said that over 28 crore children drop out from primary and secondary education in India due to COVID-19. 32 crore children had to drop out due to a lack of digital devices like smartphones, tablets, and laptops. We have started this campaign under the social outreach program. We will refurbish these digital devices and donate them to the Department of Primary Education so that they can distribute them in their primary schools. I am happy that Seth MR Jaipuira School, Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation (UPMRC), Hindustan Times, and Vodafone-Idea are supporting us in this cause.