Swatantra Talim

Supported by: Wipro

About Swatantra Talim

Swatantra Talim is a registered non-profit (certified under 12A and 80G of the Income Tax Act) working in the field of alternative education in the interior villages of Uttar Pradesh since July 2013. The organization works with rural children in the age group of 6 to 16 years with whom efforts are made to nurture scientific temper through a hands-on curriculum and contextually suited pedagogy. 

On academic outcomes often children from under-resourced communities lag in comparison to their higher-income peers. The persistent increase in this achievement gap over the years leads to lower school completion and college attendance which perpetuates long-standing cycles of poverty. We are creating opportunities and experiences that foster scientific temper among children to prepare them for school and life success. 

Our Vision is to see every village as a center of innovation and every child as an innovator facilitating social change. Our mission is to nurture scientific temper among rural children through contextual, hands-on curriculum and pedagogy. Our approach includes a mix of promoting conceptual understanding, providing the right kind of exposure, and demonstrating the real-life application of scientific knowledge. 

Location and area of work

Keeping this approach in mind, the organization works through units. Currently, the organization runs 3 after-school learning centers. The first one is in village Ramdwari, Sitapur district (90 km from Lucknow) catering to about 80 children falling in the 6 to 14 years of age group. Another after-school learning center started in July 2013 has a strength of 40 girls. Here Khoj Dabba and Khoj Yaan programs are running. 

The second after-school program is in the shape of a maker lab-cum-library (Khoj Shaala) in the village of Malsarai, Sitapur district catering to about 35 students from grades 5 to 10. The Khoj Shaala program is based on the principles of constructionism, digital fabrication, and maker education. The third after-school program is running in Aashiana, Lucknow district, catering to 15 students from grade 9 to grade 12. Here too, the Khoj Shala program has a pertinent role to play. 

After signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Uttar Pradesh state government in 2018-19, Swatantra Talim started working in 5 primary government schools and 1 upper primary school of Lucknow district. Khoj Dabba, Khoj Yaan, and Khoj Shaala were popularised in such schools.  

Plan of action

The plans for the next 1-3 years are that we will continue to expand and deepen our engagement through Khoj Dabba, Khoj Yaan, and Khoj Shaala in public schools, and districts. We will also partner with Basic Shiksha Parishad, UP, with an aim at co-creating tools for educational resources to ignite creativity and critical thinking.