TED NewsDesk, New Delhi: With unprecedented growth in technologies amid pandemic, the Bharti Foundation has approached some competent service providers for technical help concerning its education schemes.
In the view of COVID-19 outbreak, the charitable group of Bharti Enterprises is likely to involve new technologies and tools for the learners in the coming months, to accelerate teaching and learning. As per Mamta Saikia, Chief Executive Officer, Bharti Foundation, the organization will emphasize on developing quality content, introducing web cache, setting-up smart TVs in the classrooms and managing digital method of education and its aspects, in the ensuing months.
As the year 2020 marks 20 years of Bharti Foundation, the firm continues to work and aid in the field of education on primary, secondary and higher levels. The flagship Satya Bharti School Program supports the poor and underprivileged kids by imparting good quality education. The education is free of cost and includes students coming from economically weaker sections of rural areas, especially female students. The entire process of education works in a chain to expand and deepen the effect of a good education. The `Satya Bharti Quality Support Program’ shares the lessons with lakhs of children from government schools of various states and union territories of the country.
On the other hand, the Foundation also works in the field of sanitation and health. In 2014, it introduced a sanitation scheme ‘Satya Bharti Abhiyan’ which focuses on improving the sanitation facilities in the Punjab region. Some of its notable works include making toilets accessible, promoting acceptance and behavioral transformations in the society. As claimed by the Foundation, more than 2 million community people got influenced by these initiatives.
“On the education side, we are in discussion with corporate partners for technological support. We are in touch with many IT companies to support new tech requirements of teaching-learning in our schools, and hope some of those discussions will conclude in the next 1-2 months,” Saikia informed PTI.
With a budget of Rs. 100 crore for the current year, the organization plans to further work on its on-going schemes. Additionally, it may facilitate proper sanitization in schools, online methods of education, and other safety measures mandatory to avoid coronavirus transmission. The Foundation is trying its best to ensure smooth working of the teaching-learning process amid the lockdown through these initiatives. The teachers of Satya Bharti School are in regular contact with students through voice calls or class-based WhatsApp groups since March.
Saikia outlined that the pivot of the organization is to increase the use of digital spaces to manage online classes for students and to upskill its educators with the knowledge of tools and mechanisms (primarily on their mobiles). Elaborating upon the efforts to provide uninterrupted education during the widespread, Saikia said that about 75% of children, well equipped with androids, moved to online platforms. However, the remaining ones continued to receive one-to-one help through calls from the teacher’s end. She also praised how these learners and educators shifted the platforms without hesitating much.
Correspondingly, the Satya Bharti Quality Support Program has influenced many students with the help of government school principals and teachers. Even the parents have supported in introducing and carrying forward various schemes of the government. As per the new Corporate Film of Bharti Foundation, the initiatives implemented by the organization have influenced more than 4 lakh students across 4,000 Indian villages.
The efforts put by the workers and the authorities of the Bharti Foundation to provide uninterrupted quality education is commendable.