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Speech at the Learning Guarantee programme Award Function, Bellary 
Azim Premji, Chairman, Wipro Corporation

December 11, 2004

Dear friends, teachers, SDMC presidents, Mr. Vijay Bhaskar, Secretary, Education Department, Mr. Sanjiv Kumar, Commissioner for Public Instruction and honourable citizens of Bellary,

It is a wonderful occasion today as we gather to salute and felicitate the winning schools under the Learning Guarantee programme for 2004.

At last year’s function, I had stressed on the “need for accountability for children’s learning among schools and the parents”. The two years’ of implementation of the Learning Guarantee programme in North East Karnataka has reinforced my belief on the importance of such accountability.

One often hears several clichés when it comes to defining the ideal school environment and culture. There are several words that are used: joyful, child centered, interactive, one that allows the child to construct knowledge etc. There is one definition that touched my heart last year. “All we do is to create a warm and welcoming environment for the children in our school. Automatically, the children love the school and learning takes place.” These were the words of the Head Teacher of the Government Lower Primary School at Anthapannala near Gulbarga - a school that is a winner this year also. That was his way of defining the secret of his school’s success. Unfortunately that visionary teacher is no more with us to take part in today’s celebrations.

What followed after the results of the last year’s evaluation was exhilarating. The education officers at the block and cluster level enthusiastically shared the results with the schools with a view to guide them on their strengths and on areas requiring improvement. It was heartening to note the ownership and initiative displayed by many block and cluster persons. There is also a case of Mr. Jatti – the Block Education Officer of Kudligi coming forward to resolve that by 2005; eighty percent of the schools in his block will be Learning Guarantee Schools. He has gone a step forward and has gotten all the schools informally evaluated including those who had missed out on participating in the Learning Guarantee programme. We need hundreds of “Jattis” to create a revolution in learning in schools of Karnataka and of India.

I urge all of you to understand the full significance of the Learning Guarantee programme. The evaluation that is happening under the Learning Guarantee programme is not really evaluation of learning but is evaluation for learning. Unlike certain examination systems, it is not an end in itself but is a means to create awareness about learning, identify strengths and weaknesses and facilitate learning for the last child in the school.

We have several issues in our education system. One common complaint of the parents and the society in general is that, despite having passed the SSLC (even graduation examinations), the students often do not acquire the necessary skills that are important in day to day life. We have students who are unable to make simple calculations at the grocer’s shop. We have students who do not follow simple disciplines on the road. Students who don’t read fluently enough to understand the daily newspapers.

The fundamental objective of the Learning Guarantee programme is to create a culture in the schools and the classrooms that is conducive to create such learning as is useful for the child in day to day life. Learning that the parents would see as relevant and useful. Learning that is beyond the text books. It is aimed at creating the ability to think, to enhance creativity and problem solving among the children. In addition, it opens up the system to public scrutiny and provides guidance for intervening at the spot of the problem – in the classroom. And that is where the head teachers as well as the other teachers have a fundamental role to play. Once the focus of learning shifts to abilities beyond mere cognition and memory and the same is evaluated from time to time in a transparent manner, the classroom focus too will automatically shift.

Any form of learning becomes more meaningful and effective when it involves the willingness on the part of the participants – in this case the teachers and the parents – to engage in constant self appraisal. The evaluation under the Learning Guarantee programme provides an opportunity for such self appraisal.

I strongly believe that our programmes will be meaningful only if they can be up-scaled and if they yield results in the Government system. I was delighted to learn that the Government of Karnataka has decided to expand the Learning Guarantee programme across the 202 Blocks in the State and has also provided necessary resources for the same. It is heartening to know that both – the Secretary Education and the Commissioner of Public Instruction have clearly communicated that this is the State’s own programme and not Azim Premji Foundation’s programme. The programme is also being launched in Madhya Pradesh from this year.

While the programme is getting broad based, it is important to remember the critical features of this programme:
The first is retaining the voluntary participation of the schools and the parents – they must take the ownership for achievement.

The second is the transparency and integrity of the entire process of evaluation – both on the part of the schools and on the part of the evaluators. The schools must remember that while winning is important since it is an indication of a certain learning culture – winning at any cost is not the spirit of the programme. It would completely defeat the purpose and the soul of the programme. I am sure, the state will deal with such cases very firmly.

The third is that the results of the evaluation must be shared with the schools in the most meaningful manner so that they learn from the same and develop action plans. They must serve to encourage not discourage participation.

Finally, when the state implements the programme, it has to remember that unlike the Azim Premji Foundation, the state has the constitutional responsibility to provide necessary guidance and inputs to schools which need such inputs to achieve learning objectives.

The current status of learning across the country is a situation of crisis. It requires very bold and innovative approaches on the part of the Government and the schools. Unless we make dramatic commitments and changes in the education system, we cannot develop the full potential of the vast talent pool we have in the Children of India.

Education is much more than passing examinations and scoring marks. It is about building character. It is about sowing seeds of values, integrity, empathy and equity. It is about laying a solid foundation for a society that is just, humane and equitable, offering equal opportunities to all.

I am confident that all of you recognize the important role that we have to play in contributing to creating such a society and making the world a far better place to live in. I thank all of you for your enthusiasm, support and energy in building the future of our children in elementary schools.