Improving learning outcomes for the poor in Hyderabad
Access to good education is the key to broadening opportunities for the poor, particularly in India. “Good” is the operative word here, and in India parents have come to associate quality education with schools where the teachers consistently show up for work and where instruction is in English. That means private schools.
Well intentioned donors might think the best way to help the poor access quality education is to establish schools for them. There are several problems with this approach. It costs a lot of money to start a school (buildings, equipment, staff) which limits the number you can start. And it costs money to run a school, probably more than the poor can pay in fees. So the school will only continue to operate as long as the donor is willing to subsidize the operating costs. How long will they be willing to do that? 5 years, 10 years perhaps. Then the school either shuts down or raises fees, which shuts off access to the poor.
The fact is, it isn’t necessary to open new schools to meet the needs of the poor. There are more than 3,000 private English medium schools in the Indian city of Hyderabad that cater to the poor, charging $3 to $5 per month. There are more students in these schools than in government schools (where teachers often don’t show up). Rickshaw drivers, brick layers, vegetable sellers and day laborers are sending their children to these schools.
Concentric is working with 4B Serve to develop a strategy to improve the quality of education in these schools together with options by which existing Christian ministries can reach out to the students in these schools. Ministries like Mailbox Club, Kids Games, and LIFE. In this way, an investment equal to what it would cost to start one or two new schools, instead has the potential to impact 3,000 or more existing schools.
What is Concentric’s expected role in this?
Expected outcomes:
Broader potential impact
Well intentioned donors might think the best way to help the poor access quality education is to establish schools for them. There are several problems with this approach. It costs a lot of money to start a school (buildings, equipment, staff) which limits the number you can start. And it costs money to run a school, probably more than the poor can pay in fees. So the school will only continue to operate as long as the donor is willing to subsidize the operating costs. How long will they be willing to do that? 5 years, 10 years perhaps. Then the school either shuts down or raises fees, which shuts off access to the poor.
The fact is, it isn’t necessary to open new schools to meet the needs of the poor. There are more than 3,000 private English medium schools in the Indian city of Hyderabad that cater to the poor, charging $3 to $5 per month. There are more students in these schools than in government schools (where teachers often don’t show up). Rickshaw drivers, brick layers, vegetable sellers and day laborers are sending their children to these schools.
Concentric is working with 4B Serve to develop a strategy to improve the quality of education in these schools together with options by which existing Christian ministries can reach out to the students in these schools. Ministries like Mailbox Club, Kids Games, and LIFE. In this way, an investment equal to what it would cost to start one or two new schools, instead has the potential to impact 3,000 or more existing schools.
What is Concentric’s expected role in this?
- Examine the education landscape in India generally, and Hyderabad in particular, identifying relevant research, existing initiatives, the range of education offerings, service providers and private investors already involved
- Identify options for 4B Serve to get involved that play to 4B’s strengths and which have the potential to add unique value
- Identify specific steps for 4B to explore and assess these options, including additional research tasks as well as potential partnerships to explore [this is the stage we have reached so far]
- Help 4B develop a coherent plan to present to potential investors/donors
- When funding becomes available, assist in the development of an implementation plan
- Assist with oversight, monitoring, evaluation and trouble shooting during implementation
- Help 4B develop strategies to expand the scale of intervention beyond the city of Hyderabad
Expected outcomes:
- The development of a model that enables affordable (for the poor) private schools that cater to the poor to access the offerings of service providers that assist higher cost schools.
- Improved learning outcomes in affordable private schools, particularly in math, English and science
- New opportunities for Christian youth ministries to engage with existing private schools for the poor
Broader potential impact
- If a model can be demonstrated in Hyderabad, it can be scaled across other urban centers across India