An idea who's time has come....

"There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come." – Victor Hugo.


Can you just imagine how much has changed in the education sector just in the period of one year? Let us start from a global picture and move local.


Internationally, USA’s new progressive leadership has brought in a new renewed focus back on basic education and is bringing in sweeping policies to aid education innovation. Obama’s administration is openly addressing the needs of all sections of the education populace and focusing on bridging the apparent inequities, in a manner that none have done before.


Globally on the Teach For All front, the network has already spread to 12 programs worldwide and there seem to be an avalanche effect since, there are already talks that we will be in 80 countries in next 5 years.


Moving now to an India focus, there has been a spate of changes within a year. I clearly remember as the progressive Kapil Sibal was sworn in as the HRD Minister right in the middle of our Summer Institute. Kapil has kept up his word and to expectations to work incessantly for enabling a sea change in the education sector. The landmark “Right to Education” Bill brought in education as a fundamental right of every Indian. While a lot remains to be seen and done to make the bill an implementation reality, this has been a giant step in the right direction.


Coming to our state, Maharastra has also not left itself behind. In a recent sweeping change, all the unit tests have been abolished for grades I to VIII. These tests have been replaced by inventive methods of testing student learning through regular essays, projects, quizzes and innovative methods like workshops and group activities.


Locally, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has a new visionary leader in the Additional Municipal Commissioner, Ashish Kumar Singh. Ashish has a clear vision of transformed social change through the means of education and has thrown all is weight behind to making it a reality. He has formed a committee of diverse individuals and christened the project the “Mumbai Transformation Committee” with a vision to transform the entire 1400 municipal schools in Mumbai. And it is both a privilege and honor that Teach For India is a thought partner on this project.


Lastly, at the start of the year, Teach For India had to encounter numerous unanswered questions – chief amongst them will this model work in India and will we be as successful in bringing our big ideas to fruition. The immensely visible success all the TFI Fellows have been able to bring about is testimonial to our commitment to change, one child at a time. The recognition we have received from all quarters of the press and media, and the amazing success we have had in recruiting and selecting the new cohort of 165 Fellows is paving a new pathway for the development sector in India. For once it seems that we may have a scalable, mass outreach education campaign with no compromises on quality.


A lot has happened in just one year and to me it is not mere coincidence. When, so many hundreds of people are putting their positive focus and attention to a cause larger than themselves – the environment is getting motivated to support the manifestation of our thoughts and intentions. It definitely feels like the momentum is so powerful, that the idea’s time has come – education inequity needs to be addressed and the time is NOW.