85% of teachers who teach English in low income budget private schools have same level of English proficiency as their students: Mr. Rohan Joshi

Hyderabad, September 20: Bolo English, a charitable Project takes vow to empower Children from Low Income Communities with Spoken English Skills.

Addressing 60 plus School Leaders of Low budget schools, schools leaders from slum areas Mr. Rohan Joshi, Director, Project Bolo English said it is one of its kind project in India and is the most sought after initiative being rolled across eleven states Telangana, Haryana and Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Delhi,Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and other

The initiative which is in its third year, reached out to three lakh students and 10,000 teachers.

In Telangana alone it has reached out to 50,000 students and one lakh more students are aimed to be reached by the beginning of the next academic year, he said

It is an initiative of Centre for Civil Society, National Independent Schools Alliance (NISA) and TRSMA, Telangana Recognised School Managements Association.

The project is supported by renowned philanthropic entities, namely, Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, Procter and Gamble CSR, The Rising Tide Foundation. Remarkably, the project is featured by the United Nations in its film A World We Want that showcases select initiatives supporting women and girl students from low income families during the pandemic.

The workshop which held in a hotel on Monday in Secunderabad was attended by over 60 school leaders. Besides Hyderabad, the project Bolo English is also rolled out in Karimnagar, Ranga Reddy, Khammam and Warangal Districts.

The students studying in budget schools are deprived of good English skills. There are several reasons for this. One reason is 85% of teachers who teach English in these schools have the same level of English proficiency as students have, says Rohan.

Another reason, Rohan adds is ‘you don’t go to school to teach English if you know good English’ as you many have excellent career opportunities outside the teaching.

Mother tongue is important. We are not asking students to learn English at the cost of Mother Tongue, Rohan added.

Rohan shared that they aim to reach 5 lakh students with this project by the end of this academic year.

Rohan Joshi says “As we know, there is a high aspiration for English language proficiency in India, especially among its low and middle-income families. This aspiration is supported by global research that establishes that there is a high wage premium attached to even a basic fluency in English. However, educators from all over India share the challenge that despite several efforts from the teachers, principals, and parents alike, students do not speak fluently in English. Employers, on the other hand often complain that fresh graduates that appear for job interviews lack English communication skills. Project Bolo English addresses this challenge

Why is it important to learn English? Mrs Aruna, Principal from Haygreeva School, one of the participants adds English is a social mobility language. English is a global communication language. It is the language of the internet. With English skills, they will be in better position to secure good jobs. It is the language of the employability. That is why learning to speak well from childhood is very important. It will change their life, he

The Centre for Civil Society is an independent, non-profit, research and educational organisation devoted to improving the quality of life for all citizens

The National Independent Schools Alliance (NISA) is a platform that brings together budget private schools (BPS) from across the country to give them a unified voice to address their concerns.

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