Tata Trusts and TISS
Bridging the Urban-Rural Technology Divide
To address the educational challenges faced by rural India, Rukmani Trust partnered with Tata Trusts and Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) to support the Integrated Approach to Technology in Education (ITE) initiative. This collaboration focuses on bridging the urban-rural education divide by improving educational resources and learning outcomes for marginalized communities.
The initiative aimed to deploy a large-scale integration of technology in teaching and learning for school children in India. The concept was developed by Tata Trusts, where they sought to strike multi-stakeholder partnerships to enhance deep learning experiences using technology for upper-primary and secondary school children thus decreasing the digital divide for thousands of underserved school children in India.
The initiative had four key objectives
- Bridge the digital divide and foster digital citizenship
- Create interest in learning that also improves attendance and retention in schools
- Enhance learning achievement
- Improve learning processes and pedagogy
Rukmani Trust's contribution towards the project focused on bridging the urban-rural education divide by improving educational resources and learning outcomes for marginalized communities.
Enabling Education Through Technology Across West Bengal and Assam
In 2011, TATA Trust conducted a pilot for the ITE initiative in the Murshidabad district of West Bengal which was successful in gaining students' interest in learning school subjects and teachers' ability to integrate technology-enabled student projects within curriculum. The approach also worked strategically to improve access to these technologies for underserved children.
This pilot formed the basis of the expansion of the ITE initiative across West Bengal and Assam.
Recognizing the impact of the pilot, Rukmani Trust joined forces with Tata Trusts and TISS to expand access to technology-enabled education in remote villages.
By 2013, ITE was brought to three grassroots organizations, Suchana, Vikramshila, and Gramya Vikash Mancha, who all had demonstrated excellent adoption and dissemination of student-centred teaching and learning practices.
Collaborative Impact in Rural Education
The Rukmani Trust-Tata Trusts-TISS partnership has significantly transformed education in rural West Bengal and Assam.
The initiative offers a range of programs, including:
By 2016, the program was successful in building the capacity of teachers and students to make effective educational use of available digital technologies and to spread that capability among many languages and cultures to teachers and students that have been very much on the wrong side of the digital divide.
- Pre-school education
- ITE-based tuition
- Computer courses
- Health and hygiene initiatives
Thanks to all three NGOs, the initiative reached over 70 schools and about 12,000 students in both states. Source [Growth of the ITE multi stakeholder partnership, ITE Paper June 2016, Tata Trusts]
In West Bengal Suchana's community-based learning centers in tribal communities played a crucial role in providing children and teachers with digital tools and resources. Read more details about our association with Suchana here.
Vikramshila extended the ITE to about 35 government schools in the state through its associations with community members. Read more details about our association with Vikramshila here.
In Assam, Gramya Vikash Mancha, an organization actively working in Assam's flood prone areas, helped take the ITE initiative into a number of village-based adolescent learning centers in the state. Read more details about our association with Gramya Vikash Mancha here.
Deepening Our Commitment
Rukmani Trust deepened its commitment to the ITE initiative by extending the funding and support after the end of Tata Trusts's 3-year engagement to Suchana.
Amina Charania, ITE Lead at Tata Trusts, stated in a press note:
"Tata Trusts had a 3-year specific engagement, and it is very exhilarating to see Rukmani Trust now extending the funding & support for this project, which we still hold so dear. In Rukmani Trust, we see a like-minded committed organisation. We are confident that Suchana and Rukmani Trust will further build on the legacy created, and we would stand by them as a support partner."
Emphasising Rukmani Trust's conviction in technology and education, Trustee Gitanjali Krishnan mentioned: "Technology is a great leveler and enabler. By leveraging digital tools, we aim to support women and youth in rural India through education and skill development."
Scaling the Impact with Digital Badges
The collaboration further evolved during the pandemic with Digital Badges, an initiative aimed at accelerating and evaluating Teacher Professional Development (TPD) in rural India.
The digital badge thus became a visual symbol through which individuals and organisations can recognise and communicate skills, learning achievements, competencies, and certifications. Digital badges are increasingly recognised globally as a way to structure, acknowledge, reward, and monitor professional learning.
Digital badges are now becoming globally recognised as a means for structuring, acknowledging, rewarding and monitoring professional learning. Read more about Digital Badges.
Over the course of these 10 years, the partnership with Tata Trusts, TISS and Rukmani Trust underscores the power of technology, community engagement, and philanthropy in transforming rural education.
By addressing the educational resource gap, Rukmani Trust and Tata Trusts are laying the foundation for a more equitable future, where every child—regardless of background—has access to quality education.
To learn more about this collaboration, visit TISS's webpage.
