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Keynote address at the release of 50th CD title at the Learning Centre, Sarjapur
Azim Premji, Chairman, Wipro Corporation

Honorable minister of Education, Pondicherry, Senior officials from the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Orissa, Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu and Uttaranchal, our partners in content creation and members of Azim Premji Foundation,

We initiated Azim Premji Foundation with specific focus on Elementary education with a vision of significantly contributing to universal quality education as a foundation of a just, humane and equitable society. We believe that universal quality education is the only way in which we can make a lasting and positive difference to the society that we live in.

Our approach is to work with the Government since more than 75% of elementary school children in the country and more than 90% school children in rural India are in Government schools. Our objective is to develop “proof of concept” that can be replicated and up-scaled in the current system. The key themes that we are currently working on are (a) exploring ways and means of developing voluntary spirit of accountability among the schools, communities and Government functionaries towards delivering learning outcomes for children (b) demonstrating that a holistic approach of active participation of all these stakeholders can achieve education that can create all-round development of children that is beyond rote learning (c) exploring various pedagogical tools, teaching learning methods and material that can change the paradigm of the way children learn in these schools (d) using the learning from all the above to influence certain policy elements that deal with achieving learning in schools through effective advocacy.

Delivering universal quality education to our children is a complex issue. Each child learns in a different way and each teacher has her own approach and understanding of how the children in her class learn. In a way it is like each mother believing that her way of bringing up the children is the best way. A lot of experiments and initiatives have been tried in enhancing the learning of children across the world.

When we put our ears to the ground while working in over 1300 villages of Karnataka, we were in a way surprised to understand that the parents in remote rural areas – many of them illiterate, had a clear idea of what development and future of their children meant to them. They told us two clear aspirations: “We want our children to be able to speak English and we want them to be working on computers”.

We decided to launch a pilot computer aided learning programme in 35 rural Government schools in Karnataka in consultation with the Government of Karnataka. The pilot involved placing computers in identified schools, providing curricular content and liaisoning with the communities to take responsibility for the operational costs of the programme.

We were testing the following hypotheses:

1. Even 6 year old children can use a computer without elaborate training
2. Computers can attract and retain children in schools
3. Computers can bring the community to school and their involvement will spread to other areas of learning
4. Good quality content can enhance the quality of learning in a joyful manner

We were very clear that when we meant computer aided learning, it was not about IT. It was about exploring the power of IT as an effective pedagogical tool and as an effective supplement to the teacher for achieving better learning among the children.

Today, almost three years later, we are confident that the hypotheses has validity. Based on our three years experience we have the confidence that a 6 year old rural child with no prior exposure to computer can use and explore the multimedia content with practically no formal training. In school after school and state after state, we have seen that the attendance on the day of computer class is 100 percent. This suggests that computers are attracting and retaining children in schools.

We commissioned 35 centers in Karnataka in 2001 on a basis that the financial support towards the operating costs will be withdrawn after 12 months. We were happy to observe that despite discontinuation of our financial support all the centers continue to function – thanks to the support and active involvement of the community. All that the community wanted to be sure about was that the computer was available for their children to learn with and that it was not a gimmick. This is also true of the next 55 centers commissioned in 2002 by the Government of Karnataka and Azim Premji Foundation. In West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, where schools began using computers in E-Seva centers located near about, within six months, the community in one of the first schools purchased their own computer for the school. This has subsequently been emulated by a sizeable number of communities.

When we launched the computer aided learning initiative in partnership with the state governments, we noted that there were a number of states that had placed computers in schools – mainly the high schools. Some of the states were grappling with the issue of how to use them effectively and some were using these computers for imparting IT knowledge to the high school children. We found there was a huge requirement for curricular and co-curricular content that can provide joyful, child centric and interactive learning for children in elementary schools.

We consulted the heads of state education departments, heads of state IT departments, heads of some of the academic institutions and many academic experts across the country. We got a unanimous feedback that there is a need for good quality curricular and co-curricular content for elementary school children and that if such content is used as a supplement for class room teaching, it can positively influence learning.

While three years is too short a time for us to judge the impact in this sphere, we are seeing some initial studies showing positive indications. Our attempt is to “make learning play” through a deployment of unique multimedia content. Enough research and theories are available to indicate that learning through play is one of the most effective ways for children to learn. As early as in the 17th century the famous English philosopher John Locke, said, “Acquisition of literacy should be turned into a kind of sport, through the use of Dice and Plaything, with letters on them to teach children the alphabets by playing”.

We are aware that we have to go a long way in exploring the potential of information technology to enhance its impact on learning of children and training of teachers and education functionaries. The potential is almost unlimited – limited today only by our imagination and our ability to put all components together.

The 50th title that we are releasing today is an important milestone for us to celebrate and take stock of the progress we have made to consolidate the gains. Today, we are probably the largest creator of content in local language and Indian setting for elementary school children.

There are a number of issues that we still have to resolve to full satisfaction. The issue of continuous enhancement of the quality of the content that we are developing is uppermost in our mind. This would need continuous research and efforts to meet newer needs of the children.

The issue of the cost benefit – from the perspective of both – the cost of hardware and the cost of developing and replication of the content. The issue of availability of electricity. We are collaborating with a number of academic institutions and manufacturers to bring down the cost of hardware, to optimize the electricity consumed by the computer and also to develop cost effective alternatives for power.

While we go about expanding the programme across the country with a missionary zeal, we also need to be open and sensitive to the feedback from many quarters that computer aided learning is not the only priority before the schools and governments. We also need to have higher awareness of the issue of equity between those that have computers and those that don’t have. In this context, it becomes very critical to use existing computer infrastructure available for multiple purposes. I am greatly heartened by the initiative taken by Andhra Pradesh to leverage the existing investments in computers in rural areas to school children.

I believe that in the entire effort to achieve universal quality education, major collaboration is required among key stake-holders. I was happy to learn that there is a major public private alliance coming up at national level to link all the 600,000 villages in India with internet enabled computer by the 60th anniversary of Indian independence in 2007. I would like to reiterate that we in Azim Premji Foundation are committed to work with all our partners to ensure a powerful learning enhancement package that consists of free high quality curricular and co-curricular content and an important component of training of teachers to empower them to use this content as an effective teaching learning tool, across the 600,000 villages in India.

It is our pleasure and privilege to have our partners present at this happy moment of launching the 50th title of the curricular content in Indian languages. We would also like to celebrate the fact that we are now present in 1000 schools in the country. I thank you all for your contribution and collaboration in this initiative. I have no hesitation in stating that the progress in computer aided learning would not have been possible without your whole hearted support and active partnership in the endeavour. I am confident that it is such meaningful partnerships among the stakeholders that will facilitate the emergence of a just, humane and equitable society through “quality universal education”.

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